


Reunion

by jessm78



Series: Time With a Twist of Tartan [5]
Category: Doctor Who (1963)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Angst, Drama, F/M, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-02-17
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:22:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 46,080
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21652939
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jessm78/pseuds/jessm78
Summary: In the years since the Grom situation, Jamie has settled down with a family of his own and has been working with UNIT on a barely occasional basis. However, he soon finds himself thrown back into the world of the Doctor, thanks to a surprise visit from an old friend who brings a dire warning. Takes place soon after Castrovalva. Fifth story in the Time With a Twist of Tartan series.
Relationships: Jamie McCrimmon/Original Female Character, Zoe Heriot/Original Male Character
Series: Time With a Twist of Tartan [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/897381
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Not my characters (except for Kathryn, James Duncan, the baddies, and any other OCs that show up). This story is for entertainment purposes only. No copyright infringement is intended. Also, the 1st Doctor and companions don't really play an active part in this story, but they appear in flashbacks so I thought it was necessary to include them.

_Prologue_

_London_

_March 23, 1982_

Stopping only once to glance over her shoulder, the petite woman quickly made her way down the street, desperate to find a telephone box as if her very life depended on it. Only mere moments ago – or what seemed like it, at least – the older man with whom she'd once been good friends had visited her home. It had been years since she had seen him last and she more than welcomed the visit, but she quickly learned its matter was one of urgency.

An attack on Earth was imminent.

They had been through a similar situation before and he had averted that disaster. Surely he would be able to do so this time?

Much to her surprise, that was not the case. He had made a quick visit to see her on his way to head off yet another urgent crisis and this time was unable to intervene.

Unable to make contact with another version of himself, he'd done some quick scan with his computer. After mumbling something to himself which she couldn't make out, he suddenly mentioned another old, mutual friend of theirs, one whom he was certain they could count on. He'd had a fair idea of this man's location but needed to find him quickly and warn him. The old man being quite pressed for time, he seemed certain she herself would have some success in doing so.

She had regarded him in confusion as he explained his proposal. How could he be certain their friend was on Earth? He'd given her a rather impatient look, one that said 'I know what I'm doing; just trust me.'

That was all very well, but how was she going to get back to Earth, let alone during the time frame this attack was due to occur?

Before heading off once again to save the day, he'd somehow managed to find a very short window of time to transport her there several days before the attack was expected to happen. He'd given her the bare minimum information of the enemy behind this attack. Suspecting they might already have spies on Earth, he warned her to be as covert as possible.

Just before they parted company, he had given her the phone number of a certain agency, one which seemed vaguely familiar to her and which he knew their friend to be associated with so that she may contact him.

All this information he'd quickly imparted had been a lot to take in in a very short time. She'd briefly glanced down at her very swollen belly, recalling how she'd almost objected to being thrown into this situation. But he had desperately needed her help and after emphasizing how much he trusted her, she wasn't about to refuse.

She was thrown from her thoughts as she finally located an empty telephone box. Rushing inside, she picked up the receiver and rang the agency, asking to speak to her friend. The man who answered seemed quite suspicious of her motives until she revealed her identity and the fact she'd once worked with them. There was a protracted silence – as if he were looking up information – after which he returned, seemingly satisfied if not surprised to hear from her.

She repeated the request to speak to her friend, but was informed the young man was not really associated with them any longer. She felt a bit of nausea well up inside her, unsure if it was due to her current physical condition or her mounting frustration. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she then asked if they had a phone number where she could reach him.

“Well, this is the only one we've got,” the man replied, sounding rather disinterested as he rattled off the number. Nodding, she quickly searched her purse for a scrap of paper and pen. Grabbing the items, she scrawled the number onto the small, yellow piece of paper before gratefully thanking the man and hanging up the phone.

She stared for a brief moment at the paper in her hand, hoping it would be her ticket to getting a hold of her old friend. What if he had since moved house and had got a new number?

She had to try. If the older man was correct – and given his track record he usually was – the fate of Earth hung in the balance. She had fleetingly wondered if it would have been easier for her to inform the agency of the imminent danger herself, but realized her friend would only help her convince them.

Of course, she had to convince him first.

She quickly pushed each button in succession and held her breath as she heard the ringing tone.

“Hello?” a very familiar man's voice – one she'd not heard in ages – answered.

Quickly covering the mouthpiece of the phone, she released an explosive breath and then turned back to it. “Jamie?” She briefly winced at the rather childlike tone of her voice.

“Aye ...” the voice replied.

“Oh, good,” the woman said, giggling slightly in overwhelming relief and trying to mask the other emotions that spilled forth upon hearing his voice after so long. “I wasn't sure I had the correct number.” Sobering up, she decided to get to the point. “I really need to speak with you. This is very urgent. The Doc---”

“Who are ye?” he suddenly broke in suspiciously.

“All right. You're probably not going to believe any of this ...” She drifted off, feeling her cheeks flush.

“Well, out wi' it, then.”

Her chest heaved as she took in a deep breath.

“Jamie, it's Zoe. Zoe Heriot.”

She was met with nothing but silence on the other end.


	2. One

Jamie sat back in the armchair, speechless as he held the phone's receiver away from his face. _Zoe?_ The Zoe who had traveled with him and the Doctor all those years ago? The one whom they'd later visited back on the Wheel, the Doctor restoring her memories before he and Jamie tried to convince her to rejoin them? No, it couldn't be her.

And yet, it was. Although it had been years since he'd seen or heard from her, he'd recognize that voice anywhere.

She'd insisted on staying behind on the Wheel. But she was now phoning him, which meant she had to be here on Earth. But how …?

“Jamie??” Zoe's voice frantically cut into his ruminations. He felt himself blush and realized perhaps he should give her a chance to explain all this.

“Sorry. I jus' … I cannae believe it's you, Zoe. I mean, how could it be? I have no' seen or heard from ye in so long.” His eyes suddenly narrowed as a worrying thought occurred to him. “How do I know this isnae a trick?”

He heard a frustrated sigh on the other end. “All right. You'd like proof it's me? Cybermen. Quarks and Dominators. The Land of Fiction. Krotons. Ice Warriors. The chateau in the Nineteen-Seventeen Zone. The Doctor's home planet. Vashta Nerada.”

The way she rattled off each alien race or location as though it were second nature was enough to convince Jamie. The lass speaking to him was Zoe, no doubt about it.

“What are ye doing here?” he asked quietly. There were so many more questions he wanted to ask, but reckoned this was a good place to start.

“I need to speak with the Doctor,” she blurted impatiently. “Do you know where he is?”

Jamie felt a terrible pang of guilt in response to her question. “Well, tae tell the truth, I dinnae know where he is now.” An uncomfortable warmth rose in his cheeks. Boy, he felt incredibly ashamed to admit this. “Ye see, I've not had much tae do with the Doctor lately.”

“What??” she exclaimed in apparent shock.

Jamie sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, tossing it back from his face. “It's a long story.”

“I see,” Zoe replied after a beat, her tone revealing she still found it hard to believe. “But surely you must have some idea of how to contact him. I've risked a lot coming here to Earth and I really need to speak with him as soon as possible.”

“Where are you, Zoe? Ye're here in London, I hope?”

“Yes. I'm ...” She paused uncertainly as if she were trying to get her bearings. “Er, there's a pub on the corner ... 'The Bun and Spoon'?”

“Aye, I know where that is.” He risked a quick glance at his watch. “I'll meet ye there in five minutes.”

“All right. Actually … I'm not sure we should discuss this in public.”

Jamie frowned at the hesitation in her voice. “Why? Are ye bein' followed by anyone?”

“I'm not sure. The Doctor said there could be spies here.”

Jamie wasn't sure if he was more concerned or confused. The way Zoe was talking made it seem as if she were in danger but he was completely in the dark about this. There were so many details he needed to know. “Look, Zoe, I'll meet ye there. Mebbe we can go somewhere else then an' ye can tell me what's goin' on. I'll meet ye at the pub in five minutes.”

“All right,” Zoe finally agreed. “I'll wait for you there, Jamie.”

“Aye,” Jamie got out before he heard the line go dead. He stared at the receiver in disbelief for a moment before finally hanging up the phone and sitting back in the chair. Zoe's phone call had left him utterly bewildered. 'The Doctor said there could be spies here.' That would mean she'd recently seen or spoken to him, yet she was now insisting she needed to speak with him. He knew that anything involving the Doctor was unlikely to make sense, so he had to get to the bottom of this.

Especially if Zoe or anyone else close to them were in danger.

His mind began to reel with scenarios, some of them more upsetting than he was willing to entertain. He finally dashed them away as he caught a glimpse of his watch informing him the five minutes in which he planned to meet Zoe at the pub were almost up. Standing, he raced over to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket, throwing it on.

“Jamie?” a curious voice behind him uttered. “You all right?”

He whirled around to find Kathryn had approached, studying him in concern.

He took another deep breath. “I don' know. That phone call was from an old friend who might be in danger. I need tae find out what's goin' on,” he said as he hurriedly made his way to the front door.

Kathryn blinked. “What?”

“Look, I won't be long. I promise,” he blurted before bending hastily to give her a quick kiss on the lips. He then rushed out the door, most assuredly leaving a very confused wife in his wake.

* * *

Zoe sat at a small table against the wall, happily shrouded in the dimly lit atmosphere of the pub. Having been a resident of the Wheel for so long – even after her travels with the Doctor and Jamie concluded – she was used to the bright, clinical environment she found herself in day after day. Given her current situation, however, she was not one to complain. She still found herself glancing about nervously here and there, feeling as if she couldn't trust anyone. She hoped the Doctor was wrong about the possibility of spies. The people she made out in the dim light seemed innocent enough, but she knew she wouldn't completely relax until Jamie had shown up.

Speaking of which, would she even recognize him? By her deductive reasoning, it had to be over ten years since she had last seen him. Would he even be wearing his kilt? Perhaps that was a ridiculous question; she knew what a proud Highlander he was. Still, would he have kept up with the times? She'd observed some rather interesting looking people out and about when she had first arrived. She certainly couldn't picture Jamie with spiked hair dyed pink, leather clothing and a ring through his nose. The very idea made her giggle.

The giggles abruptly died in her throat as she witnessed a man entering the pub, looking about the establishment curiously as if trying to find someone. At first glance he did bear some resemblance to Jamie, but it was the familiar reddish tartan that clinched it. It was obvious to whom it belonged and she felt a sense of comfort upon recognizing it.

He was now leaning over the bar and having a quick chat with the bartender. Zoe's cheeks flushed as the other man turned in her direction, pointing, and then felt her heart thud in her chest as Jamie locked eyes with her. The recognition in his eyes was unmistakable and he quickly made his way over to her table.

Stopping alongside it he merely stood, gazing at her with an appropriately baffled expression. “Zoe?” he asked quietly. He appeared to be questioning whether it was actually her in front of him.

Her lips lifted in a fond smile. “Yes, Jamie. It is me.” Saying not a word, he continued to regard her tentatively. He still needed convincing of whom she was? Thinking a moment, she affected a smug, impish grin. “You see, the Doctor's nearly as intelligent as I am,” she chirped in a matching tone.

She watched as Jamie's eyebrows lifted and he gaped at her. After a brief moment his expression changed into a warm smile as he uttered a slight chuckle. “It really is you, lass,” he told her fondly. As he moved over to her side of the table, she carefully stood up and allowed him to wrap her in a hug.

“I cannae believe it,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “It's been so long ...”

She stayed in his embrace for several moments until the reality of the situation caught up to her. She turned her head slightly and her eyes darted from one side of the pub to the other, a bit wary of anyone who might be watching. Jamie seemed to sense this and finally stepped back, allowing her to get a good look at him.

She felt another fond smile tugging at her lips. Although quite a few years had passed since she'd last seen him, he appeared not to have aged much at all. He even wore his dark brown hair in a nearly identical way – shaggy and covering his ears, with a fringe flopping over his forehead. Of course he still wore the kilt, although she now tried to bite back a giggle as she noticed the rest of his outfit: a white-and-yellow-striped dress shirt underneath a beige blazer with darker brown patches on the elbows. Perhaps with a matching set of trousers it would look much better. She inwardly kicked herself. This was _Jamie_ she was talking about. She felt the fondness overtake her thoughts again.

As if he could read her thoughts, a sheepish grin flitted across his features and she noticed a slight blush staining his cheeks. He still had that boyish charm about him. It was nice to see that nothing had really changed ...

… Until her eyes drifted down to the wedding band resting on his left hand's ring finger. She was mortified to feel a small wave of jealousy hitting her. It wasn't as though she'd ever harbored feelings for him apart from familial or on a friendship basis. But if _he_ could manage to find love …

'No, stop it, Zoe,' she inwardly scolded herself. Why would it be any surprise that he had met a girl, settled down and got married? She herself was thirty-one and Jamie, being several years older, had to be around thirty-four. Despite how insufferable and dense she'd usually found him, he had a big heart and was unfailingly loyal. Not to mention, she had to admit he was attractive. Noticing once again how very boyish he still appeared, she suddenly felt herself blushing madly.

Jamie had obviously noticed and shot her a curious look.

Zoe awkwardly cleared her throat. “Sorry,” she muttered.

He acknowledged her with a little nod before his eyes widened as he gazed at her figure with apparent interest.

“Jamie?”

He was blushing again. “Sorry, I didnae mean tae stare. I, er … Ye're with child, then?”

Zoe briefly looked down at her very swollen belly and nodded.

“Congratulations, Zoe,” Jamie told her warmly, a hint of a fond smile on his face. She then found him eyeing the ring on her left hand. “I take it yer husband must be verra happy as well.”

Zoe suddenly felt an intense sadness overwhelm her.

“What's the matter?” Jamie asked gently, appearing concerned.

She sighed, not really wishing to talk about the situation, but she now had no choice. “Mark – my husband – has been missing for more than seven months now. Several weeks after we got married, he had to leave on an expedition. I haven't seen him since. I hadn't even got a chance to tell him I was pregnant.” Struggling to keep her emotions in check, Zoe heaved a ragged sigh. “He'd promised he'd return, but after several months I was told he was good as dead.” Unwilling to fight herself any longer, she looked away, blinking away the tears that filled her eyes.

Returning her gaze to Jamie, she found his eyes overflowing with sympathy. “I'm so sorry,” he told her, taking her hands into his own. “I cannae imagine how that must've made ye feel. But don' give up hope.”

“But, it's been seven --”

“Never give up hope,” he implored as he held her gaze.

Sniffling, Zoe gave him a watery smile. “Thank you, Jamie. I really needed to hear that.”

“I'm jus' remindin' ye what the Doctor's always told us time an' again,” he said with a shrug and a hint of a teasing smile.

Conceding his point, Zoe grew a smile of her own and nodded. The mention of the Doctor caused her eyes to widen. “The Doctor,” she muttered. Suddenly remembering the urgency of the situation, she gazed around the pub once again and then regarded Jamie seriously. Gesturing for him to come closer, she spoke in hushed tones … “I really need to contact him. Lives are at stake. You're sure you've got no idea where he is?”

Jamie frowned and looked away briefly, seeming ashamed. “Aye. I really don' work with him any longer.”

Zoe's brow furrowed as she regarded him incredulously. “Why not??” she spat out, a bit louder than she'd intended. Jamie quickly shushed her and she felt her cheeks flush. “Sorry,” she said with a little cough before continuing softly. “I don't understand. I assumed that if you had the choice, you'd travel with him forever.” A realization suddenly struck her. “Did something happen between you two?”

Jamie nodded a bit impatiently as he drew even closer to her. “I'll tell ye aboot it later.” He briefly looked about the room. “Look, ye're worried aboot spies. Aye?” he whispered.

Zoe nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable once more.

“Well, we can find someplace safer tae talk, then. Have ye got anywhere tae stay?”

Zoe regarded him dumbfounded for a moment and then sighed. How could she forget such an important detail? True, her arrival on Earth was a bit of a whirlwind affair, but she was usually more on top of things than this. “Er … Well, I assume there is a hotel nearby,” she trailed off lamely.

Jamie shook his head. “No, ye shouldnae be put up in a hotel, 'specially seeing as what's at stake an' … er … yer condition.”

Zoe was unable to keep herself from bristling. “I beg your pardon? My 'condition'?!”

Jamie simply sighed and regarded her impatiently despite his still concerned expression. “Look, I'm worried aboot ye. I cannae help it. I'd feel better if ye stayed with me an' my family.”

Zoe had to admit she found his concern endearing. She reminded herself she was here all alone in the midst of a dangerous situation, and he was the only friend she could count on. It would be a mistake to decline his offer.

She offered him a wan smile. “That's nice of you to offer, really, but I don't want to put you out.”

“Ye willnae be puttin' us oot,” Jamie told her. “We have a guest bedroom. Ye see, we moved house once Kathryn was with child. We've got plenty of room.”

“Kathryn … Your wife?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied with a smile that seemed proud in nature. “I'll introduce ye to her. She won't mind ye stayin' with us.”

“What about your baby?”

Jamie's smile widened. “Our 'bairn' is six. I'll introduce ye to him as well.”

Zoe smiled at the idea of Jamie having a young son. Still, her smile faltered a bit. “Are you sure I won't be a bother to any of you?”

Jamie met her gaze seriously. “No, Zoe. Ye won' be a bother, an' that's final. Don' say such nonsense, eh?” He then lightened his scolding with a playful wink and a grin.

A self-conscious giggle bubbled up from her throat as she eyed him apologetically. “All right,” she said, carefully rising from her seat and accepting his hand. Another thought occurred to her. “You've got a car?”

“Aye, but we don' need it,” he said quietly as he led her towards the front of the pub. “Our house is several blocks away. A short walk.”

“Oh.” She gave him a teasing grin. “You think I can manage it in my 'condition'?”

She caught Jamie rolling his eyes before scrubbing his hand across his face. “Ye're no' gannae let it go, are ye?”

Zoe shrugged playfully. “Hm. I don't know. Perhaps I will, James Robert McCrimmon, in exchange for your kind hospitality.”

Jamie merely chuckled as he approached the door and held it open for her.

* * *

Jamie couldn't help studying Zoe as he led her down the street in the direction of his house. He'd be lying if he denied his leftover shock from seeing her after all this time. She was not much younger than he, but she looked as if she hadn't aged at all. Her brunette hair was in a style similar to that which she'd had back when they were traveling together, although it was now a bit longer and brushing her shoulders. She wore a white, unbuttoned cardigan over a loose-fitting, navy tunic and a matching pair of trousers.

As for the biggest surprise of all … he wasn't sure exactly how far along she was, but he remembered Kathryn appearing similarly less than a month before she had given birth to their son. He expected Zoe's objection to his being so protective of her but he couldn't help it. He had been the same with Kathryn. Of course, there was the added danger Zoe was now mired in. Jamie saw to it that he'd make sure she stayed safe no matter how much she'd object and, he hoped, she would come to appreciate it.

He soon found Zoe gazing about nervously, almost as if she expected to find spies on every street corner. “Are you sure it's not far away?” she asked timidly.

Jamie chuckled fondly. “Aye, we're almost there. Dinnae fash yerself.” He caught a slight eye-roll from her. Apparently, she still found it silly whenever he spoke this way. In response his mouth tugged into a lopsided, almost naughty, grin. “An' if ye keep askin' me, I'll speak in Gaelic an' _only_ Gaelic the whole time ye're here.” Zoe's deadly glare caused him to laugh and he patted her softly on the shoulder.

They walked another half of a block when the street his house was on came into view. “All right. Ye see this road up here? We turn left, walk down the end of the road, an' my house is the one on the corner. We'll be there in no time.”

Within minutes, they were in front of Jamie's house. The relief on Zoe's face was palpable as she relaxed her tensed shoulders. Holding out a hand, Jamie guided her up the front walk. Once they reached the front door, he found some hesitation in her face once again.

“Now, you're absolutely sure no one will mind this?”

Jamie sighed sharply, taking all his discipline not to roll his eyes as he found himself beginning to lose patience. Truth be told, he was surprised to see Zoe with such a lack of confidence and nearly overwhelmed with worry. This situation had to be very serious. Jamie needed to find out and was sure he could in the privacy of his own home.

With that in mind, he turned to Zoe and offered her a gentle smile. “Aye, Zoe. I'm sure. I wouldnae offer if they did. Honest.” His smile widened as he watched the tense lines around her eyes finally fade and a tentative smile making its way across her face. Removing his key from his sporran, he opened the front door and stepped aside to allow Zoe entrance. Once she was inside, he had a brief look outside and, not finding anyone about, entered the house and softly shut the door behind him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Zoe's mention of Vashta Nerada comes from her (and Jamie's, and the 12th Doctor's) encounter with them in "You Can't Go Home Again (Or Can You?)", the prequel story to this whole series. Also, as in my past stories, I will have "screencaps" to share every so often. Here's one of Jamie and Zoe meeting at the pub.


	3. Two

Zoe followed Jamie through a short entryway and then into what appeared to be a sitting room on the left. She gazed about her surroundings, quietly impressed at the tastefully decorated, white-walled room with bluish-gray carpeting and light oak furniture.

As she stepped further inside, her gaze flew immediately to a series of framed photos displayed on a short bookshelf. In the center sat a large photo of a somewhat younger Jamie and a woman she presumed to be his wife, on what must have been their wedding day. Zoe smiled. It was nice to see Jamie looking so happy, and the girl looked quite lovely herself.

The next photo showed the couple smiling as they held an infant. There was a strip of paper tucked into the clear frame on which a handwritten note read: “James Duncan's Christening, 3 March 1976.” Zoe felt her smile widen. This must have been their son. On the other side was a photo that appeared to have been taken at Christmas, again of Jamie and his wife, and the boy who now appeared to be a toddler.

Studying the shelf a bit further, she then discovered a small stack of photos nearby which piqued her curiosity. She quickly looked to see where Jamie was and, not finding him in the room, she reached for them. The top photo depicted Jamie and his wife looking even younger, Jamie himself appearing much as he'd done the last time she'd ever seen him. They were surrounded by a man she immediately recognized as Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart from the time of the Cybermen invasion, plus a couple more UNIT officers and a blonde girl she hadn't recognized at all. They appeared to be at some casual gathering.

The next photo was black and white and showed Jamie with a blonde-haired couple – goodness, he looked young there, younger than she ever remembered him back when they traveled together. The next depicted a girl with long, brown hair, again someone with whom she was unfamiliar. Placing it behind the others and revealing the final photo, Zoe suddenly felt her mouth go dry as tears filled her eyes. It was a photo of herself, Jamie, and their Doctor. All with happy smiles on their faces.

“Would ye care for some tea?” a soft voice behind her pierced the silence. Zoe jumped, almost knocking the teacup out of Jamie's hand.

He regarded her with a sheepish smile. “Sorry, I didnae mean tae startle ye.”

Catching her breath, Zoe nodded. “No, that's all right. I wasn't sure where you'd gone and I got a bit side-tracked looking at ...” She held up the stack of photos, suddenly feeling ashamed. “I, er … I didn't know you'd kept these.” She gestured to the photo of the three of them on top.

Jamie gave her a fond smile. “Of course I did. You an' the Doctor were my family. It's no' as if I'd ever wish tae forget aboot ye.”

Smiling again, Zoe placed the photos back down and then turned back to Jamie, nodding and gratefully accepting the cup of tea from him. After taking a sip, she returned her attention to the other photos. “Could you tell me about these?”

“Aye, of course.” He pointed to the large center photo. “That's me an' Kathryn on our wedding day.”

Zoe nodded. “How did you meet her?”

She listened attentively as Jamie began his story. He'd decided to take a break from traveling with the Doctor, and apparently her own decision to stay back on the Wheel had influenced him somewhat. The Doctor had intended to drop him off in Paris in 1746 to be with his family, but instead he ended up here in London in 1971.

Zoe couldn't hold back an amused smirk. “So, it would seem he still can't always get the TARDIS to take us where we need to go.”

“Aye,” Jamie replied, grinning. He then made a sweeping gesture with his hands toward the large photos on the bookshelf. “But after all this, I cannae complain really. An' I found some friends. I take it ye remember UNIT?”

“Yes, from the Cybermen invasion. You've been working for them?”

Jamie nodded. “Ye see, our Doctor was punished by the Time Lords an' exiled here to Earth with a broken TARDIS, so he helped defend Earth from any beastie attacks. He worked with UNIT an' I helped them as well.”

“Mm,” she muttered thoughtfully. “So, what was he like? I mean, the Doctor who came after 'our' Doctor?”

“Er, he was an interesting fella. He had an old car called Bessie. He taught me tae drive on her. He had loads of scientific contraptions.” His fond grin was back. “Ye probably would've liked him. Anyway, no' long after I landed here, I found Ben an' Polly. I had met them when I first traveled with the Doctor, long before I met ye. After a while, they decided tae stay back here in London. It was through Polly that I met Kathryn.” His grin widened. “I grew verra fond of her. She ...”

He was suddenly cut off by the sound of footsteps entering the room. “Jamie?”

Zoe turned to find a woman several inches taller than herself with long, dark brown hair, wearing a light blue turtleneck sweater and a pair of black corduroy trousers standing at the edge of the room, regarding them curiously.

Zoe could make out the faint blush across Jamie's face as he stood up. “Och, I'm sorry. Kathryn, this is my old friend, Zoe. She's the one I was tellin' ye aboot before I left earlier.” He turned to Zoe. “Zoe, this is my wife, Kathryn.”

Zoe approached Kathryn who hadn't budged and through her body language seemed rather guarded. “Hello. It's nice to meet you,” Zoe said softly, extending her hand.

Kathryn eyed Zoe's wedding ring and seemed to relax. Zoe herself was relieved the other woman wouldn't think of her as some sort of home-wrecker. “Hello, Zoe. Nice to meet you,” Kathryn returned with a shy smile as she shook Zoe's hand. Her eyes then widened and her smile grew brighter as she seemed to take notice of Zoe's swollen belly. “Oh, how lovely. Congratulations to you.”

Zoe felt her cheeks flame and ducked her head shyly. “Thank you.” She tried once again to bite back the intense sadness Mark's absence had left.

“If you ever need any help or advice, I'm here,” Kathryn continued. “I've been through it myself. It was an ordeal towards the end – I nearly broke Jamie's hand during my delivery.” She blushed as her expression turned sheepish, but her fond smile returned. “But it was well worth it. Our son is our little blessing.”

Zoe smiled, pleased that Jamie's wife no longer seemed suspicious and was rather treating her like kin. She couldn't be happier for her and Jamie.

“Mum? Where are ye?” a young boy's voice suddenly called from another room. Zoe didn't miss the slight Scottish burr in his accent.

“In here, Wee Jamie!” Jamie suddenly called back. “I've got an old friend I'd like ye to meet!”

She suddenly found a little boy bounding into the room. He was short, yet of average build, dressed in brown trousers, a dark green sweater and white tennis shoes. His straight hair was medium brown with a side-swept fringe. He looked so much like a miniature version of Jamie, Zoe couldn't help wondering if this was how he himself looked as a child.

He stopped in front of Zoe, furrowing his brow as he studied her. He then turned to Jamie. “Old? She doesnae look any older than you, Da.”

The room broke out in laughter. “No, I mean we've been friends since a long time ago,” Jamie clarified, once he calmed down. “Before ye came into the world. Her name is Zoe.”

The young boy nodded thoughtfully. “Oh.” He turned back to Zoe. “Hullo, Zoe.”

Zoe bent down to the boy's eye level and smiled. “Hello, er ...” She trailed off, uncertain as to how she should address him.

“James Duncan,” Kathryn spoke up. “Well, at least I call him that whenever he needs a talking-to. He's named after both Jamie and my own father. Jamie calls him 'Wee Jamie.'”

“I see,” Zoe said. She then turned back to the little boy. “What do _you_ like to be called?”

“'Jamie',” he replied with a broad smile.

“'Jamie' it is, then,” Zoe told him with a chuckle, ruffling his hair a bit. She tried to contain a grin as the boy pouted once his askew locks fell over his eyes.

“Well, whenever you and Da are both in the room, I think 'Wee Jamie' shall suffice,” Kathryn said as she approached, smoothing down his hair.

“Aye.” He then smiled at Zoe. “Would ye like to see my comic books, Zoe?”

“I'd love to!”

“Mebbe a bit later,” Jamie interjected with a placating smile. “Zoe an' I have got tae talk aboot a few important things first. She'll be in tae see them before yer bedtime. I promise.”

Wee Jamie nodded. “Is she stayin' with us, Da?”

“Aye, she is. Now, why don' ye go with yer Mum an' show her the new warrior figures I bought fer ye?”

He bounced excitedly, grabbing Kathryn's hand and hurrying off with her down the corridor.

As she turned toward Jamie, Zoe caught the unmistakable proud smile on his face. “He's adorable, Jamie.”

Jamie nodded. “Thank ye, Zoe.”

“He really seems to take after you. He's even got a bit of your Scots accent,” Zoe told him with a grin.

“Aye, I suppose so,” Jamie returned with a shrug. The blush in his cheeks seemed to deepen.

“Don't be embarrassed. I think it's sweet.” The mock eye-roll he aimed in her direction made her giggle. “Really, Jamie. I'm so happy for you. After all you've been through, you deserve to settle down with a family of your own.”

“So, ye don' think me ungrateful for steppin' away from the Doctor a bit?”

“Of course not. Although I'm still curious about what made you decide.”

“Well, soon after we were wed, our friend Sarah Jane – she'd also traveled with the Doctor later on – had gone missing. The Doctor an' UNIT wanted my help and in the process Kathryn herself had gone missing. I won't tell ye the whole story but her life was verra much in danger. This alien race had put her an' Sarah on trial an' sentenced them tae death.”

“Oh, God,” Zoe breathed.

“We rescued them, but after that I decided it was best tae step back more from the Doctor an' UNIT. I'm only involved wi' them occasionally now. Once in a while I'll visit or help them with something verra easy. The Doctor didnae seem pleased at first, but he understood.” Strands of his floppy fringe covered his eyes as his gaze dropped to his hands and he once again appeared ashamed. “I haven't seen them in several months; an' the Doctor longer than that.”

Zoe felt her heart welling up with sympathy as she studied him. After he and the Doctor had been practically inseparable for so long, it must have been a tough decision for him to step back so much from the Doctor and his affairs. Zoe herself nearly felt reluctant for getting him involved once again … that is, until she picked up on the sound of his little boy laughing further down the corridor. It reminded her of all that was at stake here.

“Well, I really do hope you know of some way to contact them. We desperately need their help.”

Jamie himself had been listening to the sound of his wife and son playing, but his attention was now back on Zoe. “Aye, so I gathered from what little ye've said. Now that we're someplace safe, what can ye tell me aboot the danger ye're in, Zoe?”

She held his gaze desperately. “It's not just me, Jamie. You're in danger as well. Your family is in danger. All of Earth is in danger. And we've only got three days to stop it.”

* * *

Jamie shook his head in an attempt to recover from the shock of what Zoe had just admitted. “What do ye mean? How are we all in danger? Is there some attack being planned?”

Zoe nodded insistently. “Yes, Jamie. All of Earth is in danger,” she repeated quietly.

“This is what the Doctor told ye,” he surmised. “I don' understand. When did ye speak to him?”

“Hang on, I'm getting to that,” she spat out impatiently.

Jamie eyed her contritely. “I'm sorry. I'm just tryin' tae make sense of all this. Ye said ye needed tae speak with the Doctor, but it sounds as if ye did already.”

“I know this seems confusing, but it will all make sense. I'll start at the beginning. You remember that incarnation of the Doctor who visited me on the Wheel with you? The one who restored my memories after the Time Lords had wiped them?”

“Aye,” Jamie replied slowly. “The taller, thin chappie with all the gray hair. A bit cranky an' impatient.”

He watched in amusement as Zoe cracked a bit of a smile at this. “Yes, that's the one. Earlier today – goodness, it seems as if it were longer ago … it was such a whirlwind – he had returned to the Wheel, specifically to see me. He was in such a hurry to resolve some other crisis in the galaxy, but explained I was the closest friend he could find at the moment. He told me an attack on Earth was being planned in just three days – March the twenty-sixth, Nineteen-Hundred-and-Eighty-Two.”

Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion. “Well, couldn't he just have contacted his other self? I mean, the one from this time? Why'd he send ye tae find me?”

“He tried, but he couldn't establish a telepathic connection. He was so frustrated and hadn't the time to keep trying, so out of desperation he asked me to contact you.”

Jamie rolled his eyes. “Oh, aye. Nice tae see I'm little more than an afterthought,” he deadpanned.

Zoe shot him an impatient glare. “Really, Jamie, stop being silly.” Her glare softened as she took in a deep breath. “Anyway, he wasn't sure exactly where to find you. He'd known it was London, said he'd once received a video message from you there. You'd told him you were working with UNIT. He was unable to make contact with them himself, so he gave their information to me.”

Jamie nodded. “So, how did ye get here?”

“The Doctor found a very small window of time to transport me in the TARDIS before he went on his way.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow. “I'm surprised he got ye here, knowing how the TARDIS is.”

“Well, I'm grateful he did, otherwise you'd all be in a lot more danger,” Zoe said, tensing up once again. “We really need the current incarnation of the Doctor. If you're not sure where he is, perhaps UNIT might be able to help us.”

Jamie frowned as a troubling thought occurred to him. “Aye. The way ye said he couldnae contact his other self makes me wonder if he's in any danger.” He quickly rose from the chair. “I'll be right back, Zoe.”

With that, he hurried from the room and into the small, somewhat cluttered 'office' on the other side of the entryway. Rummaging through the large nook on the left side of the desk, his hands fell upon the clunky device coated with a layer of dust. Blowing it away, Jamie stifled a little sneeze and then rushed back to the sitting room.

“UNIT had given me this when I first joined them,” he explained to Zoe, kneeling down on the other side of her chair. “I was able tae keep in contact with the Doctor through this. He had one of his own as well. I have nae touched it in ages, but I'm sure it's still working properly.” Switching it on, he gazed expectantly at the screen …

… Which never turned on.

Jamie shrugged. “Oh, I'm sure it'll switch on in a moment … Been a while since I used it, probably has got tae warm up or somethin' ...”

He turned to find Zoe giving him her famous 'You-Really-Expect-Me-To-Believe-That?' look. He tried pushing a few other buttons to no avail. Turning to Zoe in defeat, he sighed. “I suppose we should go to UNIT headquarters, then.”

She nodded. “Yes. The sooner, the better.”

“All right,” he said quickly, grabbing his jacket once again from the coat rack. He nearly jumped at the sound of footsteps behind him.

“Now where are you off to?” Kathryn asked, quirking a curious eyebrow.

Jamie felt his cheeks flush uncomfortably but as he caught the grave look on Zoe's face, he soldiered on. “Ye'll probably think me daft, but we've got tae go to UNIT headquarters, Kathryn.”

Her face contorted in confusion. “UNIT? But, you've been out of touch with them for weeks!” Her expression suddenly became serious. “What's going on?”

“I don't have much time to explain, but the fate of Earth hangs in the balance,” Zoe told her. “That's why I'm here. I saw the Doctor recently and he informed me of an alien attack to take place here in three days. We've got to stop it.”

Kathryn was staring at them as if they each had four heads. Jamie sighed. “Look, I know it sounds ridiculous, but I've no reason not tae trust Zoe. We need UNIT's help. Mebbe they can help us contact the Doctor.”

“B-but you said you recently saw him!” Kathryn protested, addressing Zoe.

“Yes, I know, but … Oh, it's too difficult to explain now. Just, please believe me. I'm here to help.”

“I'll tell ye more aboot it when we get back,” Jamie told Kathryn hastily. Just as he approached the door with Zoe, he turned back, gazing at her pleadingly. “Be careful. Keep the doors locked an' look after Wee Jamie. We'll be back as soon as possible. I promise.” He reached over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

Another thought occurred to him as he gazed at Zoe, noting her physical condition. “Perhaps it's best for you tae stay here as well.”

“What??” Zoe exclaimed incredulously. She rushed up to him. “Jamie McCrimmon, I will not stay back here while you go off to find UNIT and the Doctor with no information about the threat we're facing!”

“Well, ye can tell me aboot it before I leave, then.”

“That's not the point!” Her gaze found the floor and she briefly appeared as if she were trying to calm herself before looking back up at him. “Look, I know you're concerned about me and I appreciate that. But I need to be involved. I've come this far and have risked very much just in trying to locate you. Please.”

Meeting her eyes, Jamie realized he was being ridiculous. Zoe was absolutely right. She was the one whom the Doctor had entrusted in telling them about this threat. She was the one with all the information. It only made sense for her to join him in meeting with UNIT. He needed to not let his concern for her well-being overshadow all this.

“Aye. Ye're right. I'm sorry, Zoe,” he replied.

She managed a ghost of a smile before joining him in the entryway and then outside. Jamie unlocked his car and opened the passenger door for Zoe.

“So,” he told her once she was securely inside and he'd started the ignition. “Did the Doctor tell ye anything aboot these beasties? I mean, the ones planning the attack?”

Zoe appeared worried as she bit her lip. “He was in such a hurry, he didn't tell me very much. He did say that if we're somehow able to contact his younger self, he would more than likely know.”

Jamie nodded. This was not going to be easy. He hoped they would be able to make contact with his other self. Jamie hadn't seen him in ages. He didn't even know if he was still at UNIT HQ.

Zoe's voice threw him out of his thoughts. “He only told me their name – 'Talpa', I believe he called them – and that they're hard to spot due to how well they can impersonate human beings.”

“Oh, well that's just great,” Jamie intoned dreadfully.

“That is why he told me to be wary of any strangers I meet. And why, due to the proximity of the date of the attack, he suspected they could already have spies here.”

Jamie frowned. “Well, let's hope we can find the Doctor, then. I mean, the Doctor he is now.”

He caught Zoe studying him, her brow furrowed. “It really has been that long since you've last seen him?”

Jamie shrugged lamely, feeling ashamed once again. “Perhaps I really shouldnae have done. But Wee Jamie has kept me so busy, not tae mention my job.”

That seemed to catch her attention. “Your job?”

“Aye. I work at the history museum no' far from here. I give tours of the section aboot Scottish history an' take part in reenactments of battles against the English.” He couldn't help smiling proudly at that moment.

Zoe seemed a bit surprised but was soon smiling as well, even giggling. “Of all the jobs you could have landed, Jamie! That suits you so perfectly, it's a bit scary.”

Jamie chuckled in amusement. “I've been doin' it fer over eight years now.”

“I can imagine how much you enjoy it,” she told him with a teasing grin which then turned slightly affectionate. “I'm very happy for you.”

Jamie nodded his appreciation. His eyes suddenly widened as the familiar building which housed UNIT Headquarters came into view. “We're here,” he announced. Gazing up at the structure once again, he sighed. Even though it had been several weeks, it still seemed like ages since he'd last been here.

Parking the car at last, he exited and came around to Zoe's side, opening the door for her. As he ushered her towards the entrance, he hoped with all his heart that, even if the Doctor weren't there, they could find _some_ one to help.

* * *

Zoe gazed uncertainly around the rather utilitarian office space. She certainly wasn't sure what to expect, only having interacted with UNIT during that Cybermen invasion ages ago. She remembered Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, of course, as well as several of the men serving under him. There was that rather nice one … Captain Turner, was it? It would have been nice to see him again, but it was highly unlikely. Surely the personnel had to have changed over since then.

Her thoughts came to a standstill as she caught Jamie speaking to a young officer who nodded, directing them to a room down a corridor on the right.

“Come on, Zoe. It's this way,” Jamie told her softly.

Nodding, she followed him until they reached a decent-sized office. Zoe elected to remain out of eye shot as Jamie stuck his head in the doorway, giving a light rap on the doorjamb.

“McCrimmon!” a familiar voice announced. “It's been a while. Come in.”

She watched Jamie nod with a slight smile before turning to her and holding out a hand for her to enter ahead of him. She regarded him tentatively for a brief moment and then stepped inside the well-lit room.

“Ah, Miss Heriot!” the man sitting at the desk greeted with a polite smile. “Good to see you again.” Zoe felt her lips edge into a smile of her own as she gazed at the Brigadier. He was, of course, looking quite a bit older than he was the last she'd seen him. Despite his outward demeanor, she could also see some weariness in his eyes, and perhaps a bit of sadness. Zoe couldn't imagine all the ordeals he'd been through trying to protect Earth from alien attack.

She then noticed his smile fading somewhat as his eyes really studied her. Oh, yes, he appeared to have noticed (then again, who wouldn't have?). Lifting an eyebrow, he seemed unsure of what to say. “I … Erm,” he muttered. It was obvious he was trying to keep some sort of professional decorum.

Zoe could feel the heat rising in her cheeks and she uttered a small cough. “Yes, Brigadier, I have … changed … since you'd last seen me. I'm married and my baby is due in just under a week.” The military man nodded wordlessly, still appearing at a loss for words. “But the reason I'm here is a very important one. It's urgent that I speak with the Doctor. Jamie says he's not had any contact with him recently, so I had hoped perhaps you could help me.”

The Brigadier nodded and then frowned. “I'm not quite sure how to put this, Miss Heriot,” he began after a sigh as he avoided her gaze. “To be frank, we've not had much contact with the Doctor in a while either. Oh, he fills us in from time to time on what's been happening, but he's not darkened HQ's doorstep in quite some time. Things have been very quiet here on Earth recently. While that's obviously a good thing, there's no denying we miss the old fellow from time to time.” A slight smile that seemed almost wistful in nature appeared on his face.

“You said things have been quiet here on Earth. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but that's about to change, Brigadier,” Zoe told him gravely. “And only in a matter of days.”

The smile was quickly wiped from his face and he eyed her seriously. “You're certain of this?”

She nodded. “Yes. The Doctor himself told me.” His expression became quite baffled. “I'll explain, I promise. But I really need to speak with him. Surely you've still got some means of communicating with him?”

“Yes, we have got portable communicators,” the Brigadier began, rising from his seat and gesturing for them to follow him out of the room.

“I tried tae reach him with my own communicator, but it's no longer working,” Jamie told him.

“No, it wouldn't be, McCrimmon,” the older man replied casually before entering a small room which appeared to be some sort of equipment store. He returned, holding a small, rectangular black box of sorts fitted with a screen and some buttons. “We've since developed brand new, more effective communicators.”

“Oh, aye,” Jamie muttered sheepishly, a blush growing across his cheeks. Zoe couldn't help but give him a sympathetic smile.

The Brigadier led them into a laboratory, gesturing for them to join him. Zoe gazed around, not finding the room all that impressive but noted it seemed a bit disused in recent days. Shrugging, she joined Jamie at one of the benches as the Brigadier turned on the device.

“Now, as I mentioned it's been ages since we've communicated with the Doctor, so it's quite possible this will not work.”

“For the sake of everyone on this planet, I hope you're wrong,” Zoe said worriedly. She felt a comforting hand on her shoulder and turned to find Jamie with a ghost of a reassuring smile on his face.

For several minutes the Brigadier toyed with the controls, but all they'd received was static on the device. “It's no use. He must be out of range.”

Zoe bit her lip and was about to sit down in defeat when a sudden, loud whistling noise emanated from the communicator and a picture began to form on the screen. A man's face soon appeared, filling the entire screen. Once he stepped back a bit, they could see he appeared quite young and had blonde hair.

“Oh! Look at this. I finally got it working,” he declared with a sheepish smile. His brow then furrowed as he stared intently at the screen. “Brigadier? Is that you?”

Zoe turned to find the military commander staring back, eyes widened in shock. Jamie's expression was nearly identical although it appeared that, somehow, he recognized this man.

“ _Doctor??_ ” he uttered quietly.


	4. Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apart from an unpublished co-written story with a friend, this is the first time I've written the Fifth Doctor. I hope I did the portrayal some justice. His companions have finally showed up as well, as you can see in the two pictures I've uploaded at the end: the Doctor and his companions on UNIT's communicator; and Adric with Jamie in UNIT's lab (Jamie's not sure how to react as Adric tells him the Doctor called him "Jamie" soon after he'd regenerated, lol).

Jamie stared incredulously at the man who appeared on the communicator screen. Deep down he knew this was the Doctor, but part of him still couldn't quite believe it. He appeared much younger than his last incarnation, with straight blonde hair, a cricket outfit, and …

Jamie felt his brow furrow in confusion. Was that a piece of celery stuck on his lapel?

“Oh, Brigadier!” the Doctor declared with a smile, almost as if in relief. “It's been ages, hasn't it?” His jaw then dropped. “Jamie? Zoe?? I don't believe it!”

Jamie felt an intense wave of guilt upon realizing how long it had been since he'd last seen the Doctor. He had dropped by HQ several times after the birth of Wee Jamie, but the Doctor was usually off somewhere in his TARDIS and Jamie got stuck talking to the Brigadier and other UNIT personnel. The Brigadier himself wasn't even up to speed on what the Doctor was doing and, if outward appearances were anything to go by, he now seemed just as surprised by the Time Lord's new face.

Jamie was brought back to the present by a voice on the communicator some distance away. “Doctor? Who are you talking to?”

The owner of the voice suddenly stepped into view behind the Time Lord: a boy with floppy dark hair, wearing a mostly yellow tunic with a blue star on the front and set of olive-colored trousers.

The Doctor briefly turned to him and indicated the screen. “Adric, this is Jamie and Zoe. They used to travel with me ...” His expression turned thoughtful. “... Oh, three lifetimes ago.”

The boy regarded him oddly for a moment before turning back to the screen in curiosity.

“Now, Jamie I would expect to be here on Earth, but Zoe?” the Doctor asked – more to himself it seemed than anyone else – as he flitted about the control room. “Something must have happened to have brought her there. Shouldn't she be back on the Gear …” Confusion suddenly flitted across his face. “No, that's the Cog … Oh, no, no, no, that's wrong ...”

Jamie's mouth flattened into a grim line as he watched the Time Lord. Given what had happened last time, it seemed this regeneration had to have taken place quite recently.

Two young women suddenly appeared on screen: one in a lilac-colored skirt set with short brown hair and the other in a wine-colored blouse and trousers, who had longer, curly brown hair.

The short-haired woman gazed at the Doctor in apparent frustration. “Doctor, what are you talking about??” she asked.

“The Wheel!” he suddenly exclaimed with a smile of triumph. “That was Zoe's home – the Wheel!”

Adric appeared to be keeping an eye on the screen. He must have picked up on Zoe's desperate expression as he approached the Doctor. “Er, Doctor,” he began, nodding towards them.

“What? Oh ...” He came closer. “Sorry. Still dealing with a bit of post-regeneration stress. Plus we'd just gone through quite an ordeal with our good friend, the Master.”

“S'all right, Doctor. We understand,” Jamie told him.

Nodding, the Doctor gave them a grateful smile and then turned to the companions on screen with him. “This is Adric, Tegan and Nyssa,” he said, gesturing to each of them.

Jamie and Zoe exchanged 'Hello's with them, after which Jamie could see Zoe worriedly biting her lip. Luckily the Doctor seemed to have noticed as well. “I suppose we can catch up later. Why have you contacted us? Is something the matter?”

“Yes, Doctor,” Zoe replied desperately. “We really need your help!”

“Miss Heriot has informed me there's an attack due to occur here on Earth in three days,” the Brigadier stepped in. “Where are you, Doctor? Are you able to return to Earth?”

The Doctor suddenly appeared to zone out, a grave look on his face. Jamie gazed at him in concern, noting the others – both with him and on screen with the Doctor – wore matching expressions.

“What? Oh, yes. Yes, of course.” The Doctor then turned to his companions. “Look, we'd better get down there straight away.”

“After all you've just been through, Doctor, are you sure you're up for it?” Nyssa asked.

“If the fate of Earth hangs in the balance, I need to help,” he'd told her seriously before turning to address the camera once again. “Jamie, Zoe, Brigadier, we'll be there shortly.” He then headed for the console. “I'm setting a course for London now.”

“London?” Tegan exclaimed excitedly. “Then I can get back to Heathrow!”

“One year too late,” the Doctor muttered casually as he got busy setting the controls.

“Oh,” she groaned. Jamie watched her face scrunch up in disappointment just before the picture on the screen abruptly cut out.

* * *

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since the Doctor's transmission had ended. Perhaps it wasn't long at all, but it didn't stop Jamie from checking his watch for what was probably the tenth time. His impatience was fueled by Zoe's as he watched her chew on her lip. She was obviously trying not to appear frustrated or worried, but wasn't putting up a very good front.

Jamie had to admit to himself he'd never really been in this position before. Granted, there was the time when he'd waited for the Doctor to come back from Metabelis 3 right before that regeneration occurred, but that was different. Back then, the Doctor had been gone so long, they'd nearly given up hope. Now the situation was far more urgent, especially considering the entire planet's fate hanging in the balance.

Before he could ruminate on it any further, the familiar sound of the TARDIS dematerializing broke the uncomfortable silence. The very sound caused relief to wash over him and he turned to find Zoe releasing an explosive breath. She seemed to relax, if just a small amount, and Jamie was grateful to see it.

The TARDIS soon appeared at the corner of the lab and before long, the Doctor himself exited, followed by his companions who gazed curiously around the room.

“So, here we are, back on Earth,” the Time Lord declared. “Or, rather, the very small area of it known as UNIT HQ.” He turned to Adric and Nyssa. “What do you think?”

Adric looked around the room and merely shrugged. Nyssa briefly looked around, seeming a bit confused. “I can't say I've seen enough of it to form an opinion, Doctor,” she said. “I assume this is their laboratory?”

“Yes, it is,” the Doctor replied. He then gazed at the room, a thoughtful expression on his face. “Doesn't appear to have been used much recently. Have I really been gone that long?” He seemed to take notice of the pair having left his side, now examining some of the equipment laid out on the bench. “Oh, er … Look, but don't touch, all right?”

“Doctor --” Zoe suddenly began in frustration.

The Doctor finally turned to face her, his expression tinged with apology. “Oh! Yes, I'm sorry.” He smiled fondly at them for a moment before addressing his companions once again. “Adric, Tegan, Nyssa, this is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, Zoe and Jamie.”

Adric met Jamie's gaze and his eyes seemed to widen a bit in realization. “So that's who you were on about right after you regenerated.”

Jamie felt his brow furrow in confusion. “Eh??”

“He called me 'Jamie',” Adric elaborated.

“Oh,” Jamie said quietly, unsure of how to react.

The Doctor stepped closer to Jamie and looked away awkwardly for a moment. “Yes. All part of the regeneration confusion. You know all about that from the last time, I gather.” He finally met Jamie's gaze with a warm smile. “Really, Jamie, it is so good to see you again. Been ages, hasn't it? I'd be interested to know what you've been up to lately.”

Jamie forced a quick smile and nodded. “Aye, Doctor. But, can we no' talk later? This is verra important --”

“Well, I suppose part of it was my fault,” the Doctor interrupted. “So much going on after Sarah Jane had gone. I met a female warrior by the name of Leela. She was of the Sevateem tribe. Oh, you should have met her. I think you two would have got along famously. She was almost like you in a way --”

“Doctor ...”

“And then she fell in love and stayed behind on Gallifrey. I got wrapped up in that whole search for the Key to Time, and then later got stuck in E-Space, which, incidentally, is where I met Adric here ...”'

“Doctor!!” Zoe finally cried out in frustration.

“Oh!” The Doctor finally ceased his rambling and took notice of Zoe, his expression turning contrite. “I'm so sorry, Zoe. You see, that's the trouble with regeneration. Not only do you not know what you're going to get, but it takes a while for the brain cells to settle down some.” He lightly smacked himself on the side of the head and sighed after a brief moment, a faint smile appearing his face.

Jamie felt himself cringing all the way to his toes, wondering when the Doctor was going to start taking this seriously.

Apparently, the Brigadier shared his frustration. “Doctor, are you quite finished yet?”

“Brigadier! Oh, it's so good to see you again,” he declared, smiling as he rushed up to the military man and shook his hand. “What is the excuse for the condition of this laboratory? I assume you've still got a cleaning lady --”

Sighing, the Brigadier turned to Zoe. “Miss Heriot, would you be kind enough to inform the Doctor as to why we require his presence?”

The Doctor stopped once again and blinked before directing his attention to Zoe. “Forgive me, Zoe,” he told her with a smile as he shook her hand. “It is so good to see you again as well.” His eyes briefly traveled down her body and widened as they seemed to take notice of her figure. “Oh … er … Zoe,” he uttered quietly as a smile lit up his face. “Congratulations.” He reached over to give her a small hug. “When is the baby due?”

Zoe sighed and gazed at the Doctor in frustration after he stepped back from her. “Any day now, but that's not why I'm here.”

The Doctor nodded thoughtfully. “Ah yes, as you mentioned earlier. What is it that's so urgent?”

Jamie listened as Zoe filled the Doctor in on what his older self had told her regarding the enemy and their plans to invade Earth in three days. He watched as the Time Lord's expression grew more and more serious, especially after Zoe had given him a brief description of the enemies themselves.

The Doctor soon looked away from them, his eyes widened. “The Talpa,” he muttered, his voice filled with dread. Jamie regarded him in confusion and was about to ask what he'd meant. The Doctor now seemed miles away, however ...

* * *

“Are you sure they haven't followed, Grandfather?”

“Of course I am, my child,” the Doctor replied with a reassuring smile as he patted Susan on the arm. “Do not preoccupy yourself with such worries, hm?”

“Barbara and I searched every nook and cranny before we took off,” Ian added. “Not a Talpa to be found. We got inside just in time. Good thing, too. They certainly didn't seem a friendly bunch.”

“If you ask me they were downright horrible,” Barbara remarked with a shudder.

The Doctor waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, nonsense. It was all a misunderstanding. It certainly wasn't our fault we landed in their territory. I explained to them the best I could that we meant no harm.”

“Yes, well, it didn't seem to do any good,” Ian said grimly.

The Doctor was loath to admit it, but the young man was right. The Talpa were indeed a formidable group that seemed nearly incapable of understanding reason. All this had started as he'd landed the TARDIS – inadvertently of course – in the middle of their lands. It soon became evident they'd been mistaken by the bipedal creatures with heads resembling those of anteaters as members of the Chronum, a humanoid faction with which they were at war.

The Doctor and his companions were in grave danger until a distraction came in the form of a small group of men attempting to steal supplies of some sort from the Talpa. This gave them the opportunity to flee, taking cover in a nearby forest. The men soon joined them, revealing themselves as representatives of the Chronum. They led the Doctor, Susan, Barbara and Ian some distance to a clearing with a small settlement. Once there, they provided the group with shelter and a meager amount of food for which they apologized. It seemed the Talpa had stolen most of it from them, depleting their food source. All they had left was that contained in their stores, the supply of which was dwindling.

Despite being unaware of how this conflict had started, the Doctor naturally took pity on them, especially after he met the less well-off members of their society including young families. He decided they would do something to help solve the Chronum's problem and began to study the area's plant life. It turned out these plants were quite simple to reproduce and he showed them how to cultivate them in order to produce a greater yield.

The Chronum seemed very grateful for this knowledge, but the problem remained the Talpa had no qualms of stealing their food. The Doctor was perplexed as to how this could happen after they examined the tightly secured food stores. Tared, one of the elder Chronum scientists, mentioned their adversaries possessed the ability to walk through solid walls. This was, indeed, a frustrating conundrum.

After conferring with several of the other scientists, the Doctor and Ian were able to help them synthesize a compound that would act like an invisible force field to anyone not possessing the Chronum's biological makeup. Once it was applied to both of the large food stores in their settlements, the Doctor had Susan and Barbara test it out. As they attempted to grab some of the harvested food, their hands passed directly through it.

That was all very well, but they needed to confirm it worked against the Talpa. After learning when the enemies usually sneaked onto their lands to steal food, the Doctor and his friends hid with the Chronum and waited until dusk.

Darkness had just fallen as a member of the Talpa was spotted crossing onto their land and heading straight for the food store. The Doctor watched in amazement as the alien walked right through the wall, disappearing. After several moments, they heard a commotion inside and what sounded like an exclamation of anger. The Talpa very quickly stormed out of the structure empty-handed. He soon tried the other food store but was obviously met with the same result. He began jumping up and down in anger, cursing the Chronum just before fleeing back to his own land. From his reaction it seemed the force field had worked.

Ever grateful, the Chronum thanked the Doctor and his companions, wishing to repay them. The Time Lord found it unnecessary, but asked for some backup on their journey back to the TARDIS – which was still on Talpa lands.

Although the Talpa were hardly active after nightfall, the Chronum agreed, quietly leading them back to the Talpa's territory and their ship. The Doctor himself was grateful for them risking their lives to help them.

No sooner had they reached the TARDIS and bid the Chronum farewell when the sound of movement inside the hill-like dwellings pierced the silence. Approximately forty yards away, several Talpa emerged and had caught sight of the group. Without hesitation, the Doctor quickly unlocked the TARDIS doors, hurrying his friends inside before joining them.

Yes, there was a concern the Talpa could have sneaked on board during the time they were away from the TARDIS. Despite the fact the ship was impenetrable, the Doctor didn't want to take any chances. Neither did his companions, and so they began to comb every section of the TARDIS, making sure there were no stowaways.

Their thorough search not having turned up anything, it was now safe for them to begin their journey away from this planet.

“So, where to now, Doctor?” Ian asked.

“Very good question, dear boy,” he replied. “Hm. Do any of you fancy catching some legendary performances at the --”

“Susan, look out!!” Barbara suddenly shouted.

Wheeling around, the Time Lord caught a Talpa jumping out from the corridor and rushing towards his granddaughter.

A look of utter shock on her face, Susan ran and tried to dodge the creature but it was exceptionally fast. Both Barbara and Ian had tried to distract it to no avail. The Doctor himself tried to intervene as well, but was forcefully shoved out of the way. It quickly became evident they were unevenly matched by the Talpa's speed and strength.

Susan tried desperately to get away, but it held her fast. Its large hands gripping her shoulders soon moved up to her neck and began to strangle her.

“G-Grandfather,” she rasped as she tried to struggle against its grip. “Help me ...”

“Hey!” Ian suddenly shouted. By what seemed to be sheer miracle, he'd succeeded in distracting the creature, which turned and dropped Susan. Once they were a safe distance away, Barbara rushed to her side to check on her.

The Doctor had barely noticed, as all this time he had been devising a plan to get rid of this menace. They were currently in flight through the Time Vortex. If they could somehow lure the Talpa to the doors and get them open …

As Ian briefly turned in his direction, The Time Lord waved his hands in the direction of the TARDIS doors. In the quick moment the young man had locked eyes with him, he seemed to pick up on the idea and gave a subtle nod. The Doctor then turned his attention to the controls on the console, manipulating them to allow the TARDIS to dematerialize.

“So, you think you're better than us?” Ian taunted as he backed up and headed for the doors, the creature following him. “After you tried to strangle a young girl to death?”

Once he made sure the Talpa was sufficiently distracted, the Doctor rushed over to the switch controlling the doors. He'd laid his hand upon it, never taking his eyes off the alien creature which was nearly in front of the doors.

Just five more inches …

“Susan! Ian! Barbara! Hold onto something! Anything!” he shouted as he flipped the switch. The doors opened in a flourish and the Doctor gripped the console tightly. He turned to find Barbara and Susan had joined him, holding on for dear life.

“Where's Ian?!” Barbara suddenly cried over the loud rushing winds of the Vortex threatening to suck them out of the ship.

“Over here!” Ian shouted. The Doctor found him hanging onto one of the wall roundels. The Talpa was also hanging onto something, which turned out to be Ian's leg.

“Oh, you haven't got rid of it!” Susan cried.

“I'm trying,” Ian protested. “It's got quite the grip!”

“Well, try harder, dear boy!” the Doctor demanded. “We cannot last very long with these doors open!”

He watched as Ian struggled to get rid of the Talpa gripping his leg, kicking as hard as he could while still trying to hold onto the wall roundel. After several moments, the creature finally seemed to be tiring, and one final kick from Ian was enough to whisk it out the doors and into the Vortex.

The Doctor inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. “Well done, Chisserton, well done,” he exclaimed over the rush of the Vortex. At least one problem was resolved. They were still left with one more, however. He turned to the wall and then to Ian, who was located about ten feet from the door switch.

His eyes suddenly narrowed as he recalled something quite odd he'd seen moments ago, just before the creature had been sucked out of the TARDIS. Its image appeared to be fading in and out, being replaced by that of Ian. It only happened briefly, but it was enough to give the Doctor pause. It was as if the thing was mimicking Ian. As odd as it seemed, a few things seemed to make sense.

The TARDIS quickly lurched to one side, shaking him out of it. He turned to Ian again. “Might you be able to reach that switch there?” Still gripping the console, he nodded towards the door switch.

“I … I believe I can,” Ian replied with some struggle as he continued to grip the roundel. The Doctor watched him slowly creep along the wall, not letting go of the roundel he was currently hanging on until his hand grabbed hold of the next one. It was a tense few moments and at one point he'd nearly slipped, but he managed to approach the lever and grabbed it with his right hand, pulling it down forcefully.

The rush of air was gone and all was still in the TARDIS.

“We're sure there are no more of these things on board?” Ian got out between heavy breaths.

* * *

“... And that's how we managed to get rid of it,” the Doctor finished, risking a glance at each of his friends. They all appeared somewhat stunned, even the usually unflappable Brigadier.

“So, Salamander wasnae the first one tae get sucked out into the Time Vortex, then,” Jamie finally spoke up.

“No,” the Doctor confirmed.

Zoe's eyes narrowed in thought. “How did that thing sneak onto the TARDIS in the first place? You've always had such optimal security measures in place, Doctor.”

“Yes, but remember, they have the ability to walk through solid walls. Including, it would seem, those of the TARDIS.”

“You also said you thought it was trying to mimic Ian Chesterton,” Adric said.

The Doctor turned to him. “Yes. It only happened for a brief moment, but it all made sense.”

“How?”

“Well, for one, there's the name: 'Talpa' is Latin for 'chameleon.' According to the Chronum, they also possess the ability to change into the form of any creature they meet simply by interacting with them. I'm not quite sure how, but I'd assume it's got to do with breathing in the gasses they exchange like carbon dioxide, or perhaps some other exchange at the cellular level. But it's only temporary, to which the fact he kept fading in and out would attest. They must have some technology to extend it.”

He turned to find Nyssa nodding thoughtfully. “That would make sense, Doctor. Perhaps they're able to replicate the cellular makeup in the form of some extended-release medicine, like an elixir.”

“Precisely,” he told her. “This is what makes them so skilled at being covert and, ultimately, so dangerous here in London. They could be anyone.”

He then caught Jamie shaking his head, his brow furrowed in confusion. “But, Doctor, what reason would they have tae attack Earth?”

“I've thought of that. When that stowaway got sucked out into the Time Vortex, they must have been alerted somehow. Naturally it would have angered them greatly and cause them to enact revenge by attacking Earth. They knew Ian and Barbara were from Earth and assumed Susan and I were as well.”

Jamie nodded silently, biting his lip in what appeared to be frustration. The Doctor himself couldn't help feeling that way himself.

“I was rather careless not assuming one of them could have stowed away. I suppose I was overestimating the impenetrability of the TARDIS, or underestimating their level of technology. Or both.” He chuckled humorlessly. “I seem to have quite a history with stowaways.” He then looked pointedly in Adric's direction.

The boy uttered a sound of disbelief. “You're not comparing me to those, those … things?!”

The Doctor sighed, regarding him apologetically. “No, I suppose not.”

He found Zoe gazing at Adric in what appeared to be sympathy before she met the Doctor's gaze. “Talking of stowaways, I believe I technically qualified as one myself.”

Adric looked at her wide-eyed, and then turned back to the Doctor. “Well, there you are!” he exclaimed, pointing to Zoe.

“All right, all right!” the Doctor snapped. “But the important thing is they're now planning to attack Earth. We've got to find a way to stop them.”

“Have you got any ideas, Doctor?” the Brigadier cut in, sounding a bit impatient.

The Doctor heaved a sigh. This was not a time to get caught flat-footed. But he was. “Not yet. But I'm sure we will come up with something.”

“Well, whatever you come up with, UNIT is on standby. We will do all we can to help.”

The Doctor felt his tension lift just slightly and a grateful smile tugged at his lips. “That's all I can ask of you. Thank you, Brigadier.”

Nodding with a thin smile of his own, the Brigadier straightened up and began making his way out of the lab.

“Don' forget, Doctor, ye've got all of us as well,” Jamie told him. “We'll do all we can tae help.”

The Doctor felt his smile widen as he clapped Jamie on the shoulder. “Thank you, Jamie. I know it's a bit much to ask, now that you've got a life of your own. How is, er ...” His brow furrowed in frustration. “... Your wife?”

Jamie smiled gently. “Kathryn's fine,” he told him. “Oh, and our son is six.”

The Doctor's eyes widened. “Already? Goodness, time really flies.”

“Aye,” Jamie said with an awkward chuckle. He then seemed to be looking at something beyond the Doctor. “Och, I didnae realize how late it was. We've got tae get back. Kathryn is expectin' us.” He gazed contritely at the Time Lord. “I'm sorry, Doctor, I don't want to worry her. We'll come back tomorrow.”

“Of course, Jamie.”

Watching him and Zoe leave, his thoughts turned to how long it had been since he'd last seen the two of them. It had been years in Zoe's case; in Jamie's, not quite as long, but he had certainly lost more touch with him than he'd wished. The fact he now had a family of his own was testament to that.

And then there was the fact Zoe was about to have a child.

“Doctor?”

Tegan's rather distant-sounding voice made him realize how long he'd zoned out. Taking a deep breath, he turned to his companions, gazing at them in determination.

“We've got to stop this invasion,” he told them. “Whatever it takes.”


	5. Four

“Thank you for dinner, Missus McCrimmon,” Zoe said with a smile which faltered slightly. Goodness, it felt a bit weird to say that. “It was delicious.”

Kathryn chuckled. “I told you to call me 'Kathryn.' And it was my pleasure.”

“You sure you wouldn't like any help cleaning up?”

She turned to find Jamie sighing, meeting her gaze in apparent frustration. “Zoe, I told you --”

Biting her tongue to keep from saying something she might regret, Zoe regarded him with a hard stare, causing him to trail off and look away awkwardly.

“No, that's fine,” Kathryn replied with a shake of her head. Zoe then caught the other woman looking beyond her and turned to find Wee Jamie gazing up at her, perhaps a bit impatiently. Turning back to Kathryn, she found an amused grin on her face. “Besides, I believe someone else requires your presence much more than I do.”

Zoe bent slightly and smiled apologetically at Wee Jamie. “Yes, I'd certainly like to have a look at those comic books now. Will you show me?”

“Aye!” the young boy answered, jumping up excitedly.

Zoe smiled as he proudly led her to his bedroom. Her thoughts briefly turned to the time just before dinner. She and Jamie had told Kathryn all about what was going on, especially the threat facing them. They had told her all this while Wee Jamie was out of the room, of course, and had agreed to speak of it in less frightening terms in front of him.

Taking a seat on the edge of his small bed, Zoe watched as the young boy made a beeline for the small end table on the opposite side and grasped a stack of several comic books. Smiling as he approached her, he held them up for her to see.

Zoe managed a polite smile as she accepted them from him. The comic books each held the same title, “TV Comic.” Perusing them quickly, she discovered they all featured the same main character: a wise old man of sorts who fought ugly alien creatures or scary robots. A slight shiver went up Zoe's back as she realized how uncannily close to home they seemed.

Wee Jamie seemed to have noticed. “Are ye all right?” he asked. Turning to face him, she found him studying her – just as his dad would sometimes do – with hazel eyes wide in concern.

Zoe quickly felt an uncomfortable warmth rising in her cheeks. She'd hoped to have kept that unease to herself! “Oh, yes, of course,” she told him, quickly plastering a smile on her face. “These just, um … reminded me of comic serials I'd read as a young girl.”

She inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as he nodded, seemingly buying her excuse. She flipped several more pages of the last comic book, feeling a smile tug at her lips as she encountered a new supporting character. “Oh, look at him. Is he a friend of the old man's?” she asked, pointing to the page.

“Uh huh,” Wee Jamie replied, his face lighting up in a smile. “An' look at his clothes. He's from Scotland, just like Da!”

Zoe uttered a fond chuckle. “Yes, I noticed that!” Deep down she couldn't help finding the coincidences revealed on the comic pages just a little bizarre. The old man reminded her so much of the Doctor, even though he barely resembled him. Additionally, the young man from Scotland was almost reminiscent of Jamie with less than a passing resemblance as well (not to mention he was a redhead rather than a brunette).

“Well, this is quite a collection, Jamie,” she told him, holding up the comics. “I'll bet you enjoy reading them, right?”

“Aye, I do!” he replied, nodding enthusiastically.

Zoe smiled. There was something so endearing about him. Perhaps it was the way he reminded her of his father, coupled with the innocence of a young child in general ...

Her smile faded at the sound of shuffling feet some distance away. She quickly turned her head to find Kathryn, standing in the doorway and watching them with a serene smile on her own face.

“Oh, Hello,” Zoe blurted with an awkward smile.

Kathryn nodded, her smile growing. “He certainly seems to have taken to you,” she said. “From what I've seen, you have a way with children.”

Zoe blinked in surprise and uttered a small cough. “Really?” she asked in a small voice. “I've got to admit I haven't interacted with children very much before.” She shrugged. “Perhaps the pregnancy has bestowed on me a maternal instinct of sorts.”

She found Kathryn narrowing her eyes thoughtfully and then nodded. “I suppose it's possible. But I know my son and he really seems over the moon with you, just in the brief time I've seen you together.”

“Well, he is adorable,” Zoe said, smiling fondly as she turned briefly to look at Wee Jamie, finding him sitting on the edge of his bed reading one of the comics. “I hope you don't mind, but I find it remarkable that he looks so much like Jamie.” Her smile morphed into an amused grin. “He's even got a bit of Jamie's accent.”

Kathryn blushed faintly despite her own grin and shrugged. “He picked up on Jamie's accent quite a bit. My own father is a Scot as well and used to visit very often.” He grin faded. “He's been in rather poor health recently and unable to visit like he used to.”

Zoe regarded her contritely. “I'm sorry.”

Kathryn shrugged again, as if it were something she'd come to terms with ages ago. Her smile was soon back. “Anyway, what I originally came here for was to tell you I've got your room ready. I'll show you where it is.” She approached Wee Jamie. “All right, you. Put that away. It's your bedtime.”

“Aw!” the young boy pouted. Again, Zoe found it uncanny how much he resembled his father.

“You can read more tomorrow,” Kathryn said, taking the comic book from him and tucking him in bed. Moving his hair aside, she planted a kiss on his forehead before turning to Zoe and gesturing for her to come closer.

“It's Zoe's bedtime, too?” he asked sleepily.

Kathryn nodded. “Yes, that's right.”

“And am I ever glad,” Zoe added. “I've had a long journey and I'm exhausted!” She stretched and uttered an exaggerated yawn for emphasis. She slowly bent to give Wee Jamie a little hug. “Goodnight, Jamie. See you in the morning.”

“G'night, Zoe,” the boy returned with a tired smile.

The two women stood watching him doze peacefully for several minutes until Kathryn gestured for Zoe to join her out in the corridor.

Zoe followed her down to the guest bedroom. Upon entering, she looked about the room in curiosity. It was on the small size, but quite cozy. The walls were a soft blue and a light gray carpet covered the floor. The single bed featured white linens and looked comfortable enough. Zoe's gaze traveled up the wall just above the bed where a framed painting hung. It depicted a mountainous landscape dotted with several bodies of water. Thanks to the words “The Western Highlands and Islands” below it, she didn't have to guess whose influence this was. Kathryn had caught on, evidenced by her lopsided grin.

“It's a beautiful little room,” Zoe told her.

The other woman simply nodded, heading for a small cupboard in the corner of the room. “There's an extra pillow and blanket in here if you need them.”

“Thank you,” Zoe returned. She expected the other woman to wish her a good night and leave, but she hadn't budged, prompting Zoe raise her eyebrows expectantly.

“This attack you and Jamie mentioned,” she began, a hint of uneasiness in her tone. Zoe could feel a sickening dread welling up inside her. “Is there anything else you can tell me about it?”

Zoe began chewing her lip. In truth, there wasn't really anything she could tell the other woman that they hadn't already shared. She finally shook her head. “No, I'm afraid. The only other thing I can tell you is it's due to occur on the twenty-sixth. When exactly that day, we've no idea. We did speak to the Doctor about it earlier and I'm sure he's already working on some counter-measures.”

Kathryn nodded and then met Zoe's eyes worriedly. “Do you think he'll be able to stop it?”

Zoe heaved a sigh. She wished she could tell the other woman with absolute certainty that she knew the Doctor would stop it. It was unlike him to let them down and with the whole planet at stake, he had to be taking this seriously. The fact he'd recently regenerated and was acting so strangely had planted a tiny seed of doubt within her mind, however. Was he really up for such an important undertaking?

She briefly stuck her head out the doorway and gazed down the corridor toward Wee Jamie's room. If the Doctor was too overwhelmed in his current state, she knew a way to make him see how great the stakes were. She also reminded herself of all the companions he had to aid him. Together, they had to find a solution.

She finally turned back to the other woman, nodding resolutely. “Yes. We will be.”

Kathryn's smile seemed almost grateful in nature and she nodded just before leaving the room. Zoe returned her smile and then closed the door, getting herself ready for bed. As she eased onto the small bed and switched off the small adjacent lamp, she stared up at the ceiling in the darkness. At some point, her gaze dropped to her swollen belly upon which her folded hands loosely rested.

“ … I hope,” she murmured.

* * *

Straightening slightly, the Doctor paused in his intense cleaning of the UNIT laboratory and frowned. Had it really been that long since he'd been back here? He didn't expect the lab to have fallen into such disuse. He turned and watched his three companions hard at work with him: washing down various areas, cleaning all the dust off everything, scrubbing the basins clean with sponges, and so forth.

Not only had he directed them in the effort, but he'd taken an active part in it as well. It was certainly better than just laying about, doing nothing. He'd be lying if he denied being frustrated at all. He had spent the whole night trying to brainstorm some ideas on how to thwart the Talpa's impending attack, not to mention how to catch any spies which were more than likely already here. Most discouragingly, he hadn't come up with anything. Or, rather, anything he had thought of was fraught with problems.

Due to his lack of both sleep and ideas, he decided to get up and give the lab a good cleaning. Perhaps it would force him to think of something. In obvious need of help, he'd recruited Adric, Nyssa and Tegan as well and dutifully ignored their protests.

“I don't understand why we're doing all this,” Adric complained, looking up from the various test tubes he was busy cleaning. “Why can't we just use the TARDIS lab?”

“Well, all the dust has been getting to me,” the Doctor replied with a wrinkle of his nose. “And we're here already, so why not use this lab?”

Nyssa frowned. “But it appears not to have been used in ages. Can you be sure it has the equipment we need?”

The Time Lord sighed. “Tell you what: if need be, we'll use the TARDIS laboratory in addition to this one. All right?”

The two nodded.

“Good,” the Doctor returned with a patronizing smile.

“Shouldn't we be thinking of a way to save Earth instead?” Tegan suddenly spoke up.

“You really believe I haven't thought of that?” the Doctor retorted, feeling more than a bit insulted. “I'm thinking as we speak. Manual labor such as this always helps me think.”

“Of course it does,” Tegan shot back with a playful smirk. “I still say you're more than a bit obsessive compulsive.”

The Time Lord couldn't help but offer her a scowl in reaction.

“Doctor, you said these Talpa can take on the form of humans,” Adric began.

“That's right.”

“Well, how did it --”

He trailed off at the sound of footsteps entering the room. The Doctor looked up to find the Brigadier walking towards them, gazing at the room with a quirked eyebrow. “Getting some spring cleaning done, are you, Doctor?”

“Well, it's about time someone did, wouldn't you say?”

“May I remind you of the threat we're facing? I would have expected you to have at least some idea of how to avert it.”

“And I will, Brigadier. My best ideas come to me in the middle of manual labor, after all.” The Doctor suddenly trailed off, his eyes widening. “In fact, one's come to me just now!”

“Oh, it has, has it?”

“Yes. Now, we've got the problem of these Talpa taking on the form of humans and being hard to detect, especially in a crowded city such as this. Well, what if we could come up with some way of detecting them?”

“Sort of like an 'alien detector',” Adric spoke up, seeming to catch on.

“Yes, exactly!” the Doctor said, pointing to him in triumph.

He turned back to the Brigadier who was eyeing him patiently. “Go on ...”

“Well, we'd have to, uh … get some clue as to their cellular makeup, and ...” The Time Lord trailed off and frowned, realizing he hadn't thought any further.

“Of course,” the Brigadier replied, his tone a bit dubious. “Well, I'll leave you to it.” With that, he started to leave the room.

“You see, that's why we're cleaning this laboratory; so that it will be usable once again to help us solve such a mystery!” the Doctor called after him. “See? I haven't forgotten that!”

He did not receive an answer.

“How are we ever going to get that sort of information from them, Doctor?” Tegan asked, her tone pessimistic as well.

“Well, Tegan, we'd have to actually capture one of them first. And we've only got two days.” The Doctor sighed deeply. “This is going to be a bit tougher than I thought. Perhaps we should contact Jamie and Zoe ...”

* * *

Jamie turned to find Zoe had ceased her pacing and was heading for their kitchen once again. His gaze soon settled on the inactive communicator the Brigadier had given him before they'd left UNIT HQ, and he offered it a frown.

He couldn't blame Zoe for feeling a bit useless as he was beginning to feel that way himself. After they had breakfast, he'd contacted UNIT but the officer who appeared on the screen blithely told him there were no updates. Not only that, he'd mentioned the Doctor was really busy and didn't wish to be disturbed. Jamie couldn't help feeling a little hurt. It made him feel as if the Doctor wasn't interested in their help.

Zoe seemed just as frustrated upon learning the Doctor didn't seem to need their help at the moment. Jamie conceded they really didn't have any ideas to contribute anyway, despite the fact they'd been brainstorming together potential ideas on how to stop these aliens. They'd simply come up empty.

Jamie smiled as he watched her exit the kitchen, sighing. She was wearing one of Kathryn's old maternity outfits. As the only clothing she had with her was that which she was wearing yesterday, Kathryn felt badly and had loaned her some of her old clothes. Zoe had also begun to act as if she had cabin fever. Not only did she want to help the Doctor, but she'd also expressed the desire to leave the house and go for a walk. Gazing at her very swollen belly, Jamie noted she appeared ready to give birth at any moment. He was already concerned enough about her and felt it was his duty to protect her, especially given the threat they were facing. Naturally, letting her leave the house, especially alone, was out of the question.

Zoe's objection was expected. She insisted on going with him to UNIT at the very least. Jamie reassured her he'd take her with him, should the Doctor and UNIT let them know they're needed.

At that moment, Zoe turned and gazed at him indignantly. “If we're 'needed.' Doesn't that bother you, Jamie? That we don't appear to be needed?”

Jamie merely sighed and offered a slight shrug, having gone through this with her at least twice before and still at a loss for words. Yes, it did bother him, but what could he do about it?

Zoe wasn't finished, however. “Perhaps he views me as a liability, especially like this,” she intoned bitterly as she gestured to her belly.

“Zoe, it's no' like that. Ye _know_ it's no' like that. Look, I'm as frustrated aboot this as you are, but ...”

“I know we've not been with him in ages, but I can't help feeling a little … cast aside.” She stopped to take a breath and then her eyes widened, as if in realization. “Unless it means he's not got any idea on how to stop this invasion. Perhaps he's just given up.”

“Eh?? Why would he do that?”

“You saw the way he was acting, Jamie. He'd recently regenerated. His concentration, his thought processes … they were all over the place!”

“So?”

“So, it would seem he's completely unprepared for this. Which means he needs our help more than ever!”

“We're no' the only ones he's got, ye know.”

“Yes, thank you ever so much for reminding me,” she spat out.

Jamie's scowl quickly softened, his expression morphing into one of pity. “I'm just tryin' tae help. We've talked aboot this invasion an' tried tae come up with ways tae stop it. We've no' come up with anything. What help could we be for him?”

Zoe sighed in frustration, shaking her head. “I don't know. Maybe if we put our heads together, we ...” She trailed off, covering her face with her hands. “Oh, bloody hell, I'm famished.”

“Again?”

She suddenly looked up with him with a withering stare. Perhaps that wasn't fair of him.

“Sorry,” Jamie told her, holding up his hands in surrender. He hooked his thumb towards the kitchen. “We've got some biscuits in there.”

“I know, I finished them.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow at her. The barrel was almost full yesterday evening. She'd already finished them off? A realization came to him and he groaned inwardly. It had been too long since Kathryn had been expecting Wee Jamie. Jamie nervously scrubbed at the hair at the nape of his neck. “Um...” He started to head for the kitchen.

Zoe held out a hand to stop him. “I've looked, believe me. Short of the leftover roast beef and chicken, there's nothing left.” She suddenly headed for the front door, grabbing her cardigan and slipping it on. “I'll go to the market up the road. You need anything else? I'll pick it up.”

Jamie's mouth hung open for a brief moment. Recovering quickly, he rushed up to her. “Oh, no, Zoe. Ye're stayin' here.”

“The hell I am,” she shot back incredulously.

“Tell me what you want an' I'll get it for ye.” He headed for the coat rack, about to grab his jacket.

“No, thank you. You'll get it all wrong,” she persisted, laying her hand upon the doorknob.

“Then at least let me go with ye!”

Zoe stopped and turned to meet his gaze. She appeared to be studying him despite her frustrated appearance. “Jamie, ever since I got here you've been hovering round me, acting as if I can barely move or do anything for myself.”

Jamie sighed in frustration. He knew how unhappy she was at present, but he wished she wouldn't exaggerate so much. “I cannae help it, Zoe. I'm worried about ye an' the bairn!”

“Well, don't be. We'll be fine. It's only a short walk up the street, not ten miles away! And I've got this.” She opened her bag to reveal a small bottle and held it up to him. Jamie furrowed his brow in confusion and then regarded her expectantly. “It's a spray, a very potent combination of mace and some other deterrents.”

Jamie scoffed in disbelief. “Ye know, I find it surprising that ye seemed so scared an' paranoid when ye first got here, as if there were beasties lurking round every corner an' now ye're suddenly so brave.” He pointed to the little spray bottle. “Ye think that's enough tae stop them? After all the beasties we've come up against?”

“And that's the point! How many monsters have we dealt with while we were traveling with the Doctor? How many of them did we defeat or evade? And I was fine!”

“But ye weren't with child then,” he insisted.

Zoe frowned, her eyes narrowing into little slits. “Jamie, I'm not a little girl anymore. I'm a grown woman and I can look after myself!” Not giving him a chance to react, she turned on her heel, threw the door open and stormed out of the house.

Jamie stuck his head out the door. “Look, Zoe, I didnae mean it that way!” he called after her. “I … Zoe!!..” Zoe dutifully ignored him, not even looking back as she hurried down the street. Boy, she could walk fast given her physical condition.

Jamie was about to run after her when he heard a voice calling faintly from further inside the house.

“Da? Where are ye, Da?”

“Och,” he grumbled in frustration. Slamming the door shut, he wheeled around and headed down the corridor, stopping only to take a deep breath. He didn't want Wee Jamie to see him this way. Goodness, why had Zoe insisted on going out? He silently prayed she would cool off and return, safe and sound. If she didn't, he vowed he would tear the whole neighborhood upside down until he found her.

* * *

Zoe's shoes produced a staccato-like rhythm on the pavement as she continued her brisk walk towards the market, not daring to look back in the direction of Jamie's house. For the moment she was thankful to be free, the fresh air bringing a much needed feeling of calm to her. She knew Jamie meant well, but she was almost beginning to feel like a prisoner being cooped up in his house for so long. Recalling their argument moments ago, she snorted softly. She was only going down to the market several blocks away, for heaven's sake. What could possibly happen to her?

She smiled to herself as the large edifice of the market slowly loomed into view ahead. It would take her only several minutes to purchase some food and she'd come right back before Jamie would even have a chance to worry. Her smile turned into a grin as she envisioned how silly he'd feel for being so overprotective in the first place.

She was about to cross the road and head for the market when she nearly bumped into a man crossing from the opposite corner.

“Oh! I'm sorry,” she blurted sheepishly. Gazing up at him, she found him regarding her with a polite smile. He was a pleasant-looking chap in his thirties.

“Excuse, me, Miss. Have you got the time?” he asked her.

“Oh, yes, of course,” she replied with a nod. She was about to look down at her watch when she suddenly spotted one on his own wrist. She gazed up at him, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

The man's smile suddenly curled into a smirk. “Oh. Silly me,” he said, suddenly reaching out and grabbing Zoe by her wrist.

“What are you doing?!” she cried as she struggled to free herself from his grip. “Let me go!!” She tried to kick him but was unable to force her leg up. The man was incredibly strong and held her fast. Somehow she managed to grab the small bottle of deterrent spray from her bag, but he'd noticed and had knocked it out of her hand.

“You're a strong little one, aren't you,” he remarked nastily. Zoe felt hot tears stinging her eyes as she tried to break free. She finally managed to grab her bag with her free hand and was attempting to hit him in the face with it when she felt a sharp blow to the side of her head, moments before everything turned black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I know Zoe is acting very irrational here, but I chalk it up to her hormones and to the fact she's feeling rather useless and frustrated in wanting to stop the alien attack. And, yes, that was a little in-joke with the "TV Comic" books, LOL. Jamie was actually the Doctor's sidekick in them around 1968-1969, and if you've seen pictures from it you'll notice he doesn't look much like Jamie and has red/ginger hair.


	6. Five

Jamie paused in his incessant pacing around the sitting room to gaze once more out the window, hoping to see Zoe. Once Wee Jamie had called out to him, preventing him from going after her, he tried to keep his composure in front of the boy so as not to worry him. He quickly thought up a cover story and told him that Zoe had just gone for a walk.

Worried sick, he'd decided to do a quick search around the front and back gardens, and then up and down the street. Of course, he'd only left once he was assured Wee Jamie wasn't alone in the house. Kathryn had been down in the cellar, hanging the laundry to dry and he'd vaguely told her he'd have a look round for Zoe. His wife must have been utterly confused as he ran up the stairs and made a mad dash for the front door.

His search proving fruitless, he returned home and alternated between pacing the room and glancing at his watch. He knew Zoe had cabin fever and expected her to object to his insistence on accompanying her outside, but he found her behavior quite over-the-top. Her change in attitude had really puzzled him as well. He recalled Kathryn being quite emotional – perhaps to the point of irrationality at times – when she was pregnant with Wee Jamie, so he supposed Zoe's behavior wasn't completely out of the ordinary. Nevertheless, he couldn't help being upset over the fact she was not only putting herself in danger, but her baby as well. What did she feel she had to prove to him by acting so foolish?

The sudden jangling of the phone on the table behind him caused him to start. He eyed it tentatively as he felt a seed of worry germinating inside his stomach. What if it was the police telling him something horrible had happened to Zoe? Heaving a sigh, he disciplined himself not to jump to conclusions as he picked up the receiver.

“Hello?”

“McCrimmon, this is Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart,” a familiar voice answered. Jamie briefly held the receiver away from his face and regarded it with a furrowed brow, perplexed as to why they were phoning him instead of using the communicators.

Before he could ponder it further, another voice came on the line. “Jamie, it's me,” the Doctor announced in an urgent tone. “Are you and Zoe able to come down here to HQ? I've started thinking of some ideas on how to neutralize the Talpa and I need your input. Especially Zoe's.”

“Doctor, Zoe is gone,” Jamie told him heavily after a beat.

“What?!”

“We had an argument an' she left the house tae get some food at the market. That was over half an hour ago. She hasnae come back.”

“Oh, no. She went there alone?”

Jamie sighed in frustration. “Aye. Doctor, I insisted I go with her but she wouldnae have any of it. She kept sayin' she'd be all right. I looked for her but I couldnae find her anywhere.”

There was a protracted pause on the other end before the Doctor came back on. “I'm not trying to upset you, Jamie – I know how upset you must already be – but there is a good possibility the Talpa may have taken her.”

Jamie tried to tamp down the panic he felt rising inside him. He glanced outside the window again. “I'm gannae look for her once more. Then I'll meet ye at UNIT Headquarters.”

“All right. Be careful, Jamie.”

Jamie barely managed a weak smile. “I will. Thank ye, Doctor.”

Hanging up the phone, he made his way to the coat rack and grabbed his jacket. Slipping it on, he was about to head for the door when the sound of footsteps stopped him in his tracks. He wheeled around to find Kathryn gazing at him curiously.

“Jamie? Where are you going?”

Jamie scrubbed his hands across his face. “I have tae meet the Doctor at UNIT Headquarters.” Feeling the panic begin to rise up again, he bit his lip. “Zoe is gone.”

“What? I thought she just went for a walk.”

“Aye, but that was over half an hour ago,” Jamie insisted. He briefly turned his gaze toward the front door and then back to her. “Where is Wee Jamie?”

“Er … He's in his room,” she replied slowly, furrowing her brow in confusion. “Getting ready for school. I'll be walking him over there in about twenty minutes, like I always do.”

“Please look after him,” he pleaded. “I think Zoe may have been taken by those beasties. We cannae allow anything tae happen to him. Make sure ye're there for him as soon as school lets oot, an' don' let him outta yer sight once ye get back here. Can ye promise me that?”

“Yes, of course,” she said with a firm nod.

Jamie turned back to the door. “All right. I'll try tae be back as soon as I can … Hopefully with Zoe.”

She nodded and Jamie could see the worry coloring her eyes. He reached over to give her a small hug and quick kiss on the cheek before he headed down to Wee Jamie's room, wished him a good day at school and gathered him into a tight hug, nearly afraid to let him go.

After another thorough search around the outside of the house and the surrounding areas turned up nothing, he decided to try retracing the path Zoe had taken towards the market. He wasn't exactly optimistic he would find her, but if there was any clue as to where she'd gone – anything that might have been hers lying about or anyone nearby who had seen her – it would certainly help temper his fears just a little.

It wasn't long until the market came into view on the opposite corner ahead. On the way, Jamie had run into some passers by and had asked if they had perchance seen Zoe. None had answered in the affirmative. He figured the chances of finding any clues of Zoe's whereabouts were now somewhere between slim and nil. In frustration he kicked at the pavement.

He frowned as he felt something small come into contact with his boot and heard a sharp little 'clink!' noise. Bending, he found what appeared to be a small bottle with a spray top. He picked it up to examine it closer and felt a sharp twinge in his stomach.

It was Zoe's little spray bottle. The bottle she had shown him just before she'd angrily left the house.

She had obviously made it this far. Something must have happened to cause her to drop the bottle. Could there have been a struggle? Could nothing have happened and it'd simply fallen out of her bag?

“Oh, aye,” Jamie mumbled sarcastically to himself. Shutting his eyes, he raked a hand through his hair. He certainly wasn't helping Zoe just standing around and coming up with daft ideas. Perhaps the Doctor had thought of something. Perhaps he had found some clues to the Talpa's whereabouts, which would hopefully lead them to Zoe.

With a new sense of determination, he shoved the bottle into his pocket and quickly made his way back up the street toward the front of his house where his car sat waiting.

* * *

Blinking, Zoe woke to find herself in a large, darkened room, the only source of light an exposed incandescent bulb hanging from the ceiling of what appeared to be a corridor just outside the door. As she tried to adjust her eyes to the dim light, she winced, feeling a throbbing pain at the back of her head.

It was starting to come back to her. She'd argued with Jamie over being cooped up in his house and wanted to go for a walk to the market. She'd stumbled upon a man who had grabbed her. She'd felt something hit her head, and …. had woken up here.

Wherever 'here' was. Trying to ignore the ache at the back of her head, she looked around, trying to get her bearings in the near darkness. She appeared to be in some sort of abandoned building; a warehouse or an office, perhaps? She found herself sitting up against a wall and tried to move, but discovered her wrists had been bound, tied together by thick rope knotted through an iron ring. No, she certainly wasn't getting out of this. As much as she tried to move her arms, the rope held them too tightly.

Throwing her head back, she growled in frustration. Jamie was right; she should not have gone off by herself. Here she'd gone to all the trouble to try and warn Earth, and now she'd ended up captured by the aliens behind the attack. Why had she acted so foolishly in the first place?

Her gaze drifted down to her belly where she felt a restless, jostling sensation. It suddenly hit her that her life was not the only one in danger.

“I'm sorry,” she whispered, her voice faltering as her eyes filled with tears. A sudden noise outside the room caused her to straighten up. The door soon opened and appearing on the other side was a man. Not just any man, but as she got a good look at him she realized it was the man who had grabbed her near the market. His eyes were dark and a sinister grin played across his face.

Zoe glared up at him. “Who are you?”

“That is not important,” he replied evasively. Zoe felt her mouth drop open as she watched his image flicker slightly, alternating between his current human form and a large, bipedal creature with profuse brown hair all over its body and a head like an anteater.

“You're Talpa,” she breathed.

The flickering ceased and the creature's human form had returned. “You know of us. But then again, you would, Earth creature.”

“What do you mean?”

“All in good time,” he replied with a smirk.

“Why have you brought me here?!” Zoe demanded. The creature simply stared at her, smirk remaining on his face as he folded his arms. “If you're looking for information, I'm not going to tell you anything.”

“Oh, we're not looking to extract information from you,” he said coolly. His eyes turned dark once more. “Something else.” Zoe swallowed around a lump in her throat as she watched him come closer, holding out his hand. “You see, we've got a little score to settle. You are our ransom.”

She barely choked out a cry as he placed his hand on her rib cage and a faint glow emanated from it.

* * *

“I've got ye now, ye Sassenach!” Wee Jamie cried, taking one of his warrior figures and ramming it into a smaller soldier figure, causing it to fall over into the grass. The young boy laughed.

“So, how are the English faring against the Scots?”

He looked up to find his mother smiling at him, appearing just a bit amused.

“Bloody awful!” he answered with an impish grin.

“James Duncan,” she warned him sternly.

“Sorry, Mum. I mean, they're no' doin' so well at all. I think they're gettin' ready to surrender soon.”

His mother laughed before she bent to ruffle up his hair. “Say, would you like a glass of water?”

He thought for a moment. Yes, he was feeling a bit thirsty. “Aye, I would,” he replied with a nod.

“All right. I'll be right back.”

He watched her go into the house before turning back to his figures on the makeshift battlefield that was the back garden. He grabbed several of the warriors, making them charge right at the soldiers. “Craig an tuire ….”

His battle cry faded as he got the feeling he was being watched. Was Mum back with his water already?? Turning around, he discovered a lady standing inside the garden right next to the side gate. His eyes widened in shock. How did she get there? She wasn't there a moment ago.

His brow furrowed as he studied her. She looked like a nice lady, perhaps not much older than his mother. She had long, dark hair that she wore partly off her face, a pretty blue dress, and some of those fancy shoes with the little stilts on the back.

He watched as she began to approach him with a smile, the late afternoon sun creating a halo all around her. She bent to look at his figures. “Those are nice little men you've got there,” she said.

Wee Jamie beamed, feeling a bit of pride. “My Da got them for me.”

The woman smiled again and nodded. She then stared at him for a moment, which made Wee Jamie feel a bit uncomfortable until she spoke again. “Do you like to read as well? Comic books, perhaps?”

Wee Jamie's mouth dropped open in surprise. How did she know he liked comic books? “Aye, I do.”

“Well, I've got quite a lot of them myself.” She paused for a moment as if she were trying to remember something. “My son collects them. I'll let you read them if you come with me.”

Wee Jamie gazed at her, frowning slightly. “I dunno, Mum an' Da have told me no' to go with strangers.”

For a brief moment, the woman appeared almost frustrated but then took a deep breath and slapped a smile on her face. “I'm your mother's friend, Olivia. She told me to look after you. She will know where we are.”

“Mum said that? But she just went tae fetch me a glass of water.”

The woman looked away and Wee Jamie thought he heard her say something under her breath, but couldn't quite make it out. She turned to him again. “Well, something has come up and she had to go meet your father. She had asked me to look after you.” Her eyes almost seemed to be pleading and her thin lips twitched into another smile.

The boy thought for a moment. “Well, if ye know Mum, then …” He nodded. “All right.”

“Marvelous,” the woman said, grinning before she offered him her hand. “Now, come with me.”

* * *

Hearing Wee Jamie's battle cry outside, Kathryn grinned. He really loved playing with those figures Jamie had got for him. She finished filling the small glass with water from the tap and headed for the back door. She was in mid-step when the sound of the phone ringing nearly made her jump.

She hurriedly ran and picked up the receiver, stretching the cord as far as it would go to allow her to look out the window.

“Hello?” She sighed in frustration. It was her mother. “Oh. Hello, Mum.... Yes, we're all doing well. How is Dad? … Mm-hm....” She barely paid attention to her mother's words as she craned her neck, attempting to keep an eye on Wee Jamie outside.

Her eyes widened as she suddenly spotted a strange woman in the garden, talking to him.

“Er, Mum, I've really got to go.... No, you see, Wee Jamie is outside and I need to check on him.” After saying goodbye to her mother, she hurriedly returned the receiver to the cradle and rushed over to the window. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she found her son walking down the street, holding the strange woman's hand.

“Jamie!” she screamed, running outside and unlatching the side gate.

* * *

Wee Jamie had not walked all that far with the lady when he suddenly heard the shout of a familiar voice. He turned his head in its direction and saw his mother leaving their back garden.

“Mum?”

He suddenly felt the lady's grip on his hand get tighter. Looking up at her, he saw a look of distress on her face. “Come on,” she muttered, beginning to quicken her pace. Jamie frowned, trying to work his much smaller legs more in order to keep up with her.

He suddenly found her smiling at him. “Let's play a game,” she said. “We'll see how fast we both can run.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Jamie saw his mother rushing down the street after them. “But Mum is ...”

“Come on!” the lady ordered, her quick walk turning into a sprint. Before he could react, she'd suddenly picked him up and started running faster than he had ever seen anyone run. It was as if she were as fast as lightning. All the various trees and buildings they had passed along the way had turned into streaks or blobs of different colors.

The lady finally slowed down and came to a stop in front of a large, unfamiliar looking building. Wee Jamie gazed up at her, amazed at how fast she could run, especially wearing such fancy shoes. He then looked up at the strange building which towered over them.

“This is where ye live?” he asked her. “This huge place?”

“Yes,” she replied with a smile.

Wee Jamie gaped at her. “Ye must have loads of money then!”

The woman laughed. “Not quite. Now, you'd like to see those comic books, yes?”

The young boy nodded enthusiastically.

“Come on, then!” the lady replied, taking his hand again.

He watched as she struggled to open the large, rusted door. She grunted and sounded like she was swearing under her breath. Wee Jamie suddenly felt as if something were wrong; this lady perhaps was not really as nice as she seemed. Her formerly kind face now appeared quite sinister. There was also the fact she had taken him away from his mother. He looked up at her with one last frown and, realizing she was preoccupied with the door and had loosened her grip on his hand, decided to run away.

Dropping her hand, he turned away and was about to run when she suddenly turned and grabbed him. “Oh, no, you don't!” she shouted. “You're coming with me!”

Wee Jamie tried to scream, but the woman quickly covered his mouth with her free hand. Finally getting the door open, she dragged him inside. He struggled as she dragged him down a dark staircase and through a long corridor. Stopping in front of a large room, she struggled with another door before kicking it open and then dragging him inside.

His cries were ignored as she grabbed a thick rope and wrapped it around his ankle, then tied it onto a large ring sticking out of the wall. Not saying a word, she got up and quickly made her way back to the door.

“Hey! Where are th' comic books?!” he cried.

“There are no comic books!!” the woman shouted. There was a look of hatred in her eyes as she regarded him one last time before leaving the room, slamming the door shut behind her.

Wee Jamie struggled to undo the rope from his ankle, but it was too heavy. Lowering his head in defeat, he began to cry.

* * *

Zoe wasn't sure how long she'd been out, but she felt utterly exhausted. The Talpa who'd been in here earlier had done something to her as he pressed his hand into her rib cage. She wasn't quite sure but it seemed as if he'd taken some of her energy. She suspected there was more to it than that, but didn't want to entertain the thought.

Taking a few deep breaths, she dropped her gaze to her belly. Whatever the alien had done, she desperately hoped it hadn't affected her baby. If it had, she would get her revenge. Provided she could get out of this place in one piece, of course.

Her thoughts were ripped from her thanks to the soft sound of a child crying to her right. Zoe narrowed her eyes, trying to see what she could make out in the dim light. Moving over slightly, she found a young boy less than two feet away with his head bent, crying into his hands. So, they had kidnapped a child as well, the monsters!

“Hey,” she called to him, her voice barely above a whisper.

The boy abruptly stopped and lifted his head, meeting her gaze. “Z-Zoe?” he stammered. “Is that you?”

She thought she had recognized him, but it was the slight Scots accent that gave him away. She managed a sad smile. “Yes, Wee Jamie … I mean, Jamie. It's me.”

She watched as the young boy tried to get closer to her, but it was obvious he'd been tied up as well, this time by his right ankle. Still, the iron ring to which his ropes were attached was fairly close to hers and he managed to get within a couple of inches of her.

“Are you all right?” she asked him worriedly.

He seemed to think it over briefly and then nodded. “Aye. I mean, I'm no' hurt.” He looked at her sadly. “An' you? Are you all right?”

Zoe sighed. “Yes,” she replied. It wasn't exactly the truth, but it was obvious the boy was frightened and she didn't want to upset him any further. “I'm quite tired, but that's all. How did you get here?”

“This lady who said she knows Mum saw me playin' in the garden an' said she had comic books fer me. I started tae go with her when Mum came runnin' out an' chased after us. The lady started runnin' faster an' we lost Mum.” He stopped for a moment as his voice faltered. Even in the faint light, Zoe could see his eyes filled with tears. “She brought me here an' said there were no comic books.” His voice got cut off in a sob. “She's no' a verra nice lady. I miss Mum an' Da. I'm afraid I'll never see them again.”

For a brief moment, Zoe nearly expected herself to feel awkward. She could count the number of times she'd interacted with children on one hand. But there was something about Wee Jamie that was special. Perhaps it was the fact he was Jamie's son. Perhaps it was the fact she herself was soon to give birth. Whatever the case, she found it easy to bond with him.

Without saying a word, she awkwardly patted his shoulder with one of her hands. It was the best she could do given the fact her wrists were bound. Fortunately the boy seemed to get the hint and he leaned against her.

“Don't cry, Jamie,” she told him softly. “Everything will be fine. You will see your Mum and Da again.”

Sniffling, Wee Jamie looked up at her. “When ... Whenever I'm afraid, Da always tells me 'Dinnae fash yerself.'”

Zoe grinned fondly, recalling that Jamie had told her that himself when she'd first reunited with him the other day. She now felt slightly guilty for having rolled her eyes at him. She turned to face Wee Jamie once again. “Yes, I imagine that he does.”

The boy seemed to be regarding her expectantly, some fear still evident in his eyes.

“Jamie, dinnae fash yourself,” Zoe said in as good a Scots accent as she could muster, which, truthfully, wasn't good at all. She felt her cheeks flush as she thought how ridiculous she must have sounded.

The boy didn't seem to care, however. The fear in his eyes appeared to evaporate and was replaced by something akin to trust. He smiled at her and then lowered his head to rest against her shoulder.

Gazing at him, Zoe felt a surge of emotions and her eyes flooded with tears. She decided then and there she wouldn't let these Talpa harm a hair on his head. She just hoped the Doctor, Jamie and the others would find a way to defeat them before they even got that far.

“It's all going to be fine,” she whispered, more to herself and her baby than to the boy who was now dozing against her.

* * *

Rushing inside UNIT HQ, Jamie barely returned the Brigadier's greeting as he made his way towards the laboratory. He'd ended up arriving later than he'd planned, thanks to his insistence on expanding his search for Zoe. He'd even contacted the police to help but once again, Zoe hadn't turned up. He knew the Doctor had been expecting him and hoped he wasn't too worried.

Once he got inside the lab he looked around, finding the room empty. “Where's the Doctor?” he demanded, whipping his head around to find the Brigadier gazing at him placidly.

“I was about to say he's inside the TARDIS,” the military commander replied, seeming a bit put out by Jamie's demeanor as he pointed to the familiar police box.

“Sorry,” the Scot muttered, effectively chastened. With that, he quickly made his way into the TARDIS, the Brigadier on his heels.

Inside, he found the Doctor, Adric, Tegan and Nyssa standing around the console. They were looking down at one of the screens across which some flashy light beam was dancing.

“Oh, Jamie!” the Doctor greeted him distractedly. “We were just discussing some ideas on how to neutralize the Talpa and find Zoe.”

Jamie nodded, gazing at him expectantly.

“And I promise I will share those ideas in a moment. However, this is just a bit more important,” the Time Lord said, gesturing to the screen on the console.

“What is it?” Jamie asked.

“We were able to patch into the Talpa ship's radio signal,” Adric said.

The Doctor nodded. “Yes, I'm afraid I was right. They've already landed on Earth.”

“Eh? But I thought the invasion wasnae for two more days!”

“So they've led us to believe,” the Doctor said with a slight grimace. “I assume this is their advance fleet.”

“Well, they'd better not be expecting a welcoming committee,” Tegan remarked dryly.

“Doctor? Something's wrong. We appear to be getting a message, but it's not coming through entirely. We may need to adjust the frequency,” Nyssa suddenly cut in.

“Do it,” he told her with a nod. Jamie watched as she and Adric tinkered with the controls a bit. The light show playing out on the screen soon turned into one sharp line traveling from one end to the other.

“Doctor. Earth people,” a deep voice boomed. “We are the Talpa. We have made a connection with your signal from our ship which has already landed on your planet.”

“Yes, we've been expecting you,” the Doctor retorted.

“We are sending you this message to let you know we are holding two humans hostage,” the voice continued. “A young woman and a small boy.”

Jamie shared a confused look with the others until a stark realization smacked him upside the head and he felt his blood run cold. Zoe. But the small boy … could he have been Wee Jamie? No, he was safe at home with Kathryn. But … the fact the possibility was out there made him feel even worse.

“We assume you will be willing to negotiate for their release.”

“That depends,” the Time Lord replied. “What are your terms?”

“We know you would do anything to protect the people of this planet, which we intend to conquer.”

Jamie felt a wave of nausea wash over him as he listened. He knew where this was going.

“We demand you stand down. Or we shall kill the hostages.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this chapter gets into some heavy stuff. What can I say? I wanted to keep it from getting too dull. I hope I didn't portray Kathryn as being overly negligent. The first pic here at the end depicts Jamie on the phone with the Brigadier (and the Doctor) after Zoe goes missing. The other is of the Doctor and his companions after they've made a connection with the Talpa's radio signal. Tegan: “Well, they'd better not be expecting a welcoming committee." (Jamie is just out of frame on the other side of the Doctor, in case you're wondering ;))


	7. Six

“Yes. Thank you, officer,” Kathryn muttered numbly just before she replaced the telephone receiver on the cradle. Taking a seat on the sofa, she buried her head in her hands. How could she have let this happen? Jamie had insisted she keep an eye on their son and what had she done instead? She'd left him outside and the next thing she knew, he had been kidnapped.

But she had only been gone for a split second! She'd tried to keep an eye on him through the window the whole time. Nevertheless, the threat they were dealing with was a pretty serious one according to both Zoe and Jamie, and she'd left him in harm's way. If anything happened to him, she knew the blame was solely on her.

She could feel the tears forming in her eyes, but she was too consumed with worry to allow them to spring forth. She had phoned the police and reported the kidnapping ten minutes ago. The officer had just rung back, telling her they had found a missing boy. From the officer's description, however, he was not Wee Jamie.

The sound of the front door swinging open nearly caused her to jump. Wheeling around, she found Jamie entering and hurriedly making his way toward her. He appeared greatly distraught and it was obvious he had not located Zoe. How on Earth was she going to tell him about Wee Jamie?

“Kathryn, the Talpa have Zoe,” he blurted, his hazel eyes filled with worry. His gaze then dropped to his hands. “An' even worse, I think they've got Wee Jamie as well.”

Kathryn felt as if her face were on fire. She began wringing her hands and as soon as his eyes met hers, she looked away herself. “Yes. I know,” she muttered, reaching up and worriedly clutching the hair at the back of her neck.

“Ye _know_?” Jamie returned, his voice quiet and incredulous.

Kathryn tentatively returned her gaze to him, finding his eyes narrowed in confusion for a brief moment. He then frowned. “What happened?” he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

“I, uh ...” She stopped and sighed, unsure of how to start. “I left him for a very brief moment outside to fetch him a glass of water. I --”

“Ye left him alone??” Jamie exploded.

“Jamie, please!” she shouted, hot tears running down her cheeks. “He was in the back garden and I only went in for a moment! I watched him from the window and ...” She stopped to take a deep breath.

“What?” Jamie prompted her quietly.

“This, this strange woman suddenly appeared, standing inside the garden and talking to him. Before I knew it, he'd gone off with her.” She nervously raked a hand through her hair as she sat on the sofa. “I couldn't believe it. We've both told him not to talk to strangers.”

“Aye,” Jamie muttered. He sat next to her, shaking his head as he covered his face with his hands.

“I don't understand how she even got there. I know I locked the side gate,” Kathryn insisted. “How could anyone just break in? I checked the gate and it was completely intact.”

Jamie didn't say a word, but merely rose from the sofa and headed for the back door. Kathryn followed him outside and toward the side gate, where she found him kneeling down and studying it. “See? There's no sign of forced entry anywhere.” Jamie looked up at her and nodded. His eyes suddenly widened and he gazed at her pointedly.

Kathryn knew what he was getting at and shook her head. “And, no, she was wearing high-heeled shoes. I very much doubt she had climbed over the gate.”

Jamie merely grumbled as he got up and made his way toward the back door. Once they got back inside, they sat once again on the sofa, the two of them unable to speak for a short time.

Kathryn finally worked up the nerve to continue. “I ran outside after them, but the woman took off with him down the street. I can't tell you how swiftly I ran to catch them up, but she was so fast. It was as if she turned into a blur. At first I thought I was seeing things.” Overwhelmed, she uttered a humorless chuckle. “She almost reminded me of one of the superheroes from his comic books.”

The corner of Jamie's mouth twitched and as he turned to her, she could see the lines of worry etched around his eyes. “The Doctor told us these beasties have super strength, so I wouldnae doubt they're also very fast. He told us they could walk through solid walls as well.”

“... So it's possible she could have walked through the gate.”

“Aye,” Jamie said grimly. He turned to meet her eyes once again. “I've gotta go back tae UNIT.”

“I'm going with you.” Jamie looked about ready to protest. “No, Jamie. Our son is missing. I phoned the police and reported it, but there's only so much they can do. If the Doctor and UNIT can help locate him, I need to be there. Please.”

Jamie seemed to understand as his lips lifted in a slight smile that seemed apologetic in nature. “All right,” he said, softly laying a hand on her shoulder. They both got up and headed for the front door. Jamie grabbed their jackets and handed Kathryn's to her before slipping on his own.

“We'll get him back, lass,” he told her solemnly as he met her eyes again. “Ye know that, don't ye?”

Kathryn merely nodded. As Jamie turned to open the door and exit, she couldn't help wondering if he really had faith they'd find Wee Jamie, or if he was just saying this to calm her fears.

She hoped with all her strength it was the former.

* * *

“Jamie ...”

Wee Jamie suddenly blinked his eyes open at the sound of his name. His first thought was how very tired he was. He'd obviously nodded off again.

“Jamie, you have to stay awake,” Zoe pleaded weakly. He turned to find her looking quite exhausted herself. “Don't show the aliens you're tired. They'll think they've won. We don't want them to think that, do we?”

He tiredly shook his head and could just barely see Zoe smiling next to him. No, he didn't want to show these bad people – 'aliens' Zoe had called them – that he was tired. He didn't want to appear weak in front of them.

What had they done to him, though? Two of them had visited him and Zoe. One had promised to find him some comic books and other toys if he would be a good lad for them. The alien had then touched his chest near his heart and some bright light soon appeared. Wee Jamie was stunned to see this and wished he knew what they were doing. Whatever it was, it made him feel quite tired.

He also realized he'd felt quite hungry. He wasn't sure what time it was, but it seemed to be around the time he, Mum and Da would have supper.

Hearing Zoe sigh, he turned to find her lying up against the wall and looking very weak. Reminding himself what Da had told him about Zoe having a baby soon, he suddenly began to feel very worried for her, as well as angry with these aliens for keeping them prisoner.

Balling up his fist, he wanted to hit the ground when his hand brushed up against something sticking out of his trouser pocket. Curiously grabbing it, he removed what was revealed to be a chocolate bar. His eyes widened in realization. Yes, that was the chocolate bar his friend Tommy had swapped him for his lemon sherbets today at school!

Wee Jamie never thought he'd be so overjoyed to see a chocolate bar – he really was that famished – until he gazed once more at Zoe. She really looked exhausted and he reckoned she was probably quite hungry as well.

“Zoe?” he prompted, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Mm?”

“Are ye hungry?”

She barely choked out a laugh. “Oh, please don't mention food. I'd try and eat this rope if I had the strength.” She inclined her head toward the rope which bound her wrists.

Wee Jamie gazed at the chocolate bar in his hands and then held it up to her. “Here. I got this Mars bar today. I want ye tae have it.”

Zoe seemed surprised for a brief moment and then shook her head. “No, you eat it.”

“Eh? No, ye should eat it. Yer bairn – I mean baby – must be hungry too.”

* * *

Although she felt almost completely drained of energy, Zoe blinked at the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. Here was this young boy, cruelly taken captive by these Talpa, who reminded her so much of his father in his selflessness, offering her some chocolate. She had to admit that extreme hunger was only second to the physical exhaustion overtaking her. She felt touched by Wee Jamie's generosity.

“All right,” she finally said, opening her mouth and allowing him to feed it to her. She was glad she had enough energy to chew something. And boy, did it feel good to eat. She felt her nagging headache ease up slightly.

“Thank you, Jamie,” she told him, her lips tugging into a tired smile. She then nodded toward the small piece of chocolate left. “But you've got to eat something as well. Please tell me you'll accept this small bit?”

The boy seemed to be studying it for a moment and then nodded. “Aye. All right.” Zoe felt her smile widen a bit as she watched him eat the remainder of the chocolate.

“Thank you again, Jamie,” she told him. “I do feel better now.”

“I'm glad, Zoe,” he told her with a smile of his own.

Zoe was about to chuckle when she felt a familiar sensation deep inside herself, jostling her insides around. “Ooh!” she exclaimed.

“What happened?” the boy asked.

She gazed down at her belly and then back to him. “I felt the baby kick. I think he's happy to have got some food as well.” She couldn't help smiling as she caught the awed, and then somewhat satisfied, expression on Wee Jamie's face.

Their lighthearted moment was short lived, however, thanks to the sound of loud footsteps approaching from outside. The door roughly swung open and Zoe felt her heart sink as she looked up to see the 'man' who had abducted her. A creepy grin spread across his face as he approached her.

“You're looking well. As 'well' as you can be under these circumstances, I suppose.” He finished his observation with a disturbing chuckle.

Glancing at Wee Jamie for a brief moment, she found him glaring at the Talpa. “You leave her alone or I'll bash ye!”

Their captor abruptly stopped chuckling and scowled at the boy. “We've gone easy on you thus far due to your status as a 'hatchling',” he sneered. At that moment, Zoe couldn't help feeling indignant on Wee Jamie's behalf. “Once you step out of line, we shall swiftly correct that.”

Jaw set, Zoe regarded him angrily. “You must be quite proud of yourself, threatening and attacking a pregnant woman and a young boy.” The Talpa merely shrugged, obviously not finding it remarkable in any way. “What are you going to do to us?”

The Talpa seemed to study her for a moment. “You may have noticed our disguises are not quite perfect.” As if on cue, his human likeness began to flicker again, even more so than it had when she first witnessed it. Out of the corner of her eye, she found Wee Jamie staring at the creature, slack-jawed.

“If we're going to pass as humans, we need to perfect this formula.” Zoe felt a slight shudder move up her spine as he moved closer. “You see, we're simply draining your life force to collect more information on the cellular level with which to fine-tune our elixir. In doing so, it will allow the process of mimicry not to wear off as quickly.” He then held up a small vial, inside which Zoe could barely make out some cloudy, orange-colored liquid.

Without warning, he moved even closer and held his hand to her rib cage again. As the bright light emitted from it, Zoe could feel her energy being sapped from her and struggled against it.

“No!” Wee Jamie shouted.

Out from her haze of exhaustion, she could see the Talpa grinning in satisfaction. “Well. We're off to a good start.” She barely had time to decipher his statement when he began flickering once again, this time rapidly until there was nothing but a blur.

After several moments, the flickering stopped and Zoe stared in horror at the image before her.

* * *

Jamie gazed sadly at Kathryn as they made their way inside UNIT HQ towards the Brigadier's office. She appeared consumed with worry and Jamie couldn't blame her. He himself was trying hard to think positive that they'd find both Wee Jamie and Zoe. He was especially concerned for Zoe and her child. He hoped the Doctor had news to share.

They were just about to reach the military commander's office when he appeared just beyond it, greeting them with a nod.

“We got here as fast as we could, Brigadier,” Jamie said.

“No worries, McCrimmon,” he replied with a thin smile before he turned to Kathryn. “Missus McCrimmon, I wish to express my sympathy on the disappearance of your son. But please know we are committed to returning him safe and sound.”

Kathryn barely managed a smile of her own as she nodded. “Thank you, Brigadier,” she muttered. “I do feel tremendous responsibility for this--”

“Hey, remember what I told ye,” Jamie gently chastised her. She'd eyed him apologetically before he took her into his arms for a quick hug. He then turned to the Brigadier. “Is the Doctor in the lab?”

“Yes. I've no idea if he's made any progress, so I'll let him tell you himself.” He then regarded Kathryn in concern. “Would you care for some tea, Missus McCrimmon?”

She appeared hesitant until Jamie turned to her with an encouraging smile. “Go on. It'll help calm yer nerves a bit.”

“All right,” she said with an awkward smile.

“Fine, I'll have Lieutenant Davis make you some and bring it to the lab.”

Jamie watched Kathryn nod her thanks and, gently placing his hand on her back, guided her down the corridor toward the lab. Sticking his head inside, he found the room to be empty.

“Doctor??” he called out.

“Oh, Jamie!” the familiar voice called back from inside the TARDIS. “We're in here!”

“Oh,” Jamie muttered sheepishly, feeling a bit silly for overlooking the obvious. Nodding toward Kathryn, he made his way into the familiar blue box with her following.

Once inside, he found the Doctor and his current companions standing around the console. Jamie looked on with amusement as he watched Kathryn's expression change to one of surprise upon her first glimpse of the Time Lord with his new face.

“Well, if it isn't the Lady McCrimmon,” he told her, a fond smile on his face as he approached her, giving her a gentle hug. “It's wonderful to see you again.” His smile became a bit sad in nature. “Although I wish it were under better circumstances.” He then stepped back, gesturing to his companions. “This is Adric, Tegan and Nyssa.”

“Hello, it's nice to meet you all,” she told them shyly.

Jamie smiled as he watched her exchange greetings with them, but there were more pressing things on his mind. “Have ye got any news at all, Doctor?”

The Time Lord's expression turned grim. “Not really, I'm afraid.”

Jamie felt his heart ache as he turned to find Kathryn appearing ready to cry. “It's all my fault he's gone,” she blurted.

The Doctor gazed at her in confusion. “How is it your fault?”

“Well, ye see, Doctor, he --”

“No, Jamie, let me tell him,” Kathryn interrupted sharply. “He was playing in our garden and I'd gone inside for a moment to fetch him a glass of water. I tried to keep an eye on him but one of those monsters – whatever you call them – appeared out of nowhere and nabbed him before I could get outside. She sped away with him and I couldn't catch them up.” Her voice faltered and Jamie could see her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “It's my fault he's gone. And if we can't get him back I don't know what I'd do.”

Jamie soon found Tegan at Kathryn's side, laying a hand on her shoulder as Nyssa looked on in concern.

“Now, listen to me, Kathryn,” the Doctor told her solemnly. “We will get him back. If it's the last thing I do, I will get him back.” He then met Jamie's gaze. “Him and Zoe. That I promise you.”

Jamie nodded at Tegan and then took Kathryn into his arms. As he gazed at the Time Lord, he found his eyes alight with a steely determination. It was that look he'd seen countless times from the Doctor he'd first met and traveled with, and now three incarnations since. Although Zoe's pessimism fed by his newly regenerated state had rubbed off on Jamie, in addition to the fact they'd seemed no closer to figuring out how to defeat the Talpa, he now believed the Doctor would come through for them. He just had to.

Jamie felt his lips tugging into a grateful smile and he nodded. “Thank ye, Doctor.”

“Of course, my friend,” the Doctor returned before assuming a thoughtful expression. “What we really need is a way to get a hold of the Talpa's formula that allows them to mimic humans ...”

“Doctor, we're receiving another message from the Talpa ship,” Nyssa interrupted.

The Doctor nodded, making his way back to her and Adric. Jamie turned to Kathryn, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

“People of Earth. Doctor. We contact you only to provide an update on our situation. We are making great progress with our elixir.” Jamie wrinkled his nose at the obvious conceit in the alien's voice. “Soon we shall be able to seamlessly impersonate you humans. You will have no way of finding us and we shall be able to execute our plan.”

“Oh, I wouldn't be so sure of that,” the Doctor retorted.

The voice uttered a sinister chuckle. “You would not be wise to doubt us, Doctor. Little by little, we are draining the hostages' life force and in doing so, gaining information on the cellular level which will allow us to perfect our formula.”

“And you're certain this will work?” Tegan spoke up. “Surely humans will figure out there's something not quite right about you.”

“Yes,” the Doctor added. “There are things which make someone human you cannot replicate, such as compassion and empathy. For all I've seen, you've no capacity to show such emotions.”

“We can learn, Doctor!” the voice insisted forcefully.

“I doubt that very much,” the Time Lord shot back.

“We shall see,” the voice replied, this time more subdued. “Stand down or we shall kill the hostages. And one more word of caution: Be careful in trying to plan any counter-attack. You never know who may be listening.”

Jamie felt his brow furrow in confusion as the transmission ended and the screen went dead. He turned to find the Doctor appearing just as confused until he shut his eyes and groaned. “Their spies,” the Time Lord muttered.

“Spies??” Tegan said incredulously. “But we're inside the TARDIS! How could they hear us in here if the communication has been broken?!”

“Could they have planted a listening device on board?” Nyssa asked the Doctor. “Perhaps when you first encountered them?”

“No, we would have found it by now!” Adric said. He then appeared a bit confused and turned to the Doctor. “Wouldn't we?”

The Doctor looked increasingly annoyed. Whether it was due to all the voices talking at once or that he believed they were right, Jamie couldn't tell.

“Look, they _can't_ hear us. They're just bluffing,” he finally said. “There was always the possibility of spies already being here on Earth. The fact that Zoe and Jamie's son were kidnapped is proof of that ...”

Jamie felt someone grabbing his arm and turned to find Kathryn leaning up against him, sobbing quietly. Holding her close, he then found the Doctor had trailed off, gazing at her sadly.

“I'm sorry.”

“They said they were draining the hostages' life force,” Kathryn got out between sobs. “Oh, Jamie, what are we going to do?”

Jamie watched the Doctor approach them, his lips twitched into a ghost of a reassuring smile. “I'm sure they're also bluffing about that. I promise you, we will get him back unharmed.” The Time Lord then met Jamie's gaze. “Both of them.”

Kathryn released a shaky breath and nodded. “Thank you.”

The Doctor nodded, his smile growing. “I think I now know where to start. We've been trying to come up with ideas on how to capture one of the Talpa or, at the very least, some of this elixir of theirs. If we can find out where Zoe and your son are being held, and we can get a hold of the elixir ...” His eyes briefly widened. “What we really need is some way to detect the Talpa. Once we've done that, it will be the first step in obtaining information about their formula.”

Jamie felt himself relaxing as he caught on to the Doctor's train of thought. It certainly sounded like a good plan. The only question was how to implement it …

“Doctor?” a familiar voice sounded outside in the laboratory.

“Ah, that must be the Brigadier, looking for an update,” the Time Lord intoned. He began to make his way out of the TARDIS, his companions following with Jamie and Kathryn bringing up the rear.

The military commander hung back in the doorway, a bit of an unsettled expression on his face which he seemingly tried to cover up with an awkward smile. Jamie could see he was holding a teacup and saucer.

“Missus McCrimmon? Your tea,” he said, holding it up for her. Jamie watched Kathryn leave his side, nodding as she gratefully accepted the tea from him.

“That's all, Brigadier? Just delivering tea?” the Doctor teased.

“If only it were that simple,” the Brigadier replied dryly. “But, no. I bring some news.” He quickly turned to look behind himself. As he turned back to face them, his expression became slightly awkward once again. “Erm … Someone's turned up.” He then moved aside to reveal someone who had been standing behind him, out of view.

Jamie stared, slack-jawed at the visitor standing before them.

“What did I miss?” Zoe asked, an innocent smile upon her face.


	8. Seven

For a moment, the Doctor was absolutely thrown. Zoe, the former companion of his who had been captured and taken hostage by the Talpa – a fact they only proudly confirmed – was now standing before them. He certainly would have expected her to appear just a little worse for wear and there was not a hair out of place on her head.

“Zoe?” Jamie uttered in a small voice, appearing just as shocked and perhaps even a bit skeptical.

Zoe merely smiled and nodded.

“How did you get here?” the Doctor asked. “The Talpa themselves told us they'd taken you as a hostage!”

Zoe paused uncertainly. “Yes, they did take me,” she finally blurted. She then turned to Jamie, eyeing him contritely. “You were right, Jamie. It was completely daft of me to go for a walk without you. I must have worried you terribly.”

“Aye, if _that's_ no' an understatement,” he grumbled.

“Please forgive me?” she asked, her eyes making her look like a sad puppy dog.

After a moment Jamie sighed and nodded, although he still seemed a bit unconvinced. “How did ye escape?”

Once again, Zoe paused in thought. The Doctor couldn't help finding it a bit odd, almost as if she were trying to think of the most convincing way to relate it. “Well, they'd really done a poor job in tying me up. Whoever tied the knots must have done it blindfolded.” She flashed a quick grin. “I was able to get free while they were distracted bringing in another prisoner.”

Jamie still regarded her dubiously. Zoe herself finally seemed to notice as well. “Jamie?”

“Sorry, it's jus' that ...” He stopped and shook his head. “I mean, there's no' a scratch on ye.”

The Doctor took particular note of Zoe's expression at that instant. Her eyes had widened for a split second, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. It had quickly evaporated however as she uttered a sheepish-sounding giggle. “Oh, well, I suppose I was just lucky.”

“You were 'just lucky'?” Adric repeated, his eyes widened in obvious disbelief.

The Brigadier himself seemed at a loss for words as he regarded her with a raised eyebrow. Finally, he spoke. “While we're obviously very relieved to see you got out safe and sound, Miss Heriot, perhaps you are unaware that the McCrimmons' son was also abducted.”

Zoe's expression was blank for a moment, and then ... “Oh! Yes. Erm … I did happen to see him there …” She awkwardly looked away.

“You happened to see him there and you didn't try to rescue him?” Tegan said incredulously.

“My son???” Kathryn added, her voice rising in anger.

Zoe's face flushed. “Well, I, er … I did try, but, you know ...” She stopped to gesture to her figure with an awkward chuckle. “Very pregnant woman, here.”

Jamie's eyes narrowed in suspicion. “Now, just a moment. Earlier ye objected tae me makin' a fuss of yer 'condition.'”

“And now it's your excuse for not trying to rescue a young boy?” Nyssa added.

Deciding to be a little more subtle, the Doctor slowly approached her. “Something isn't quite right here, Zoe," he said gently.

“She's hiding somethin', Doctor,” Jamie insisted, fixing Zoe with a glare.

The Time Lord held up a hand. “Just a moment, Jamie.” He then turned to address Zoe once more. “Believe me, we're relieved to see you alive and well. But you must understand we can't help being skeptical. The Talpa were nearly bragging they had you as a hostage. I very much doubt they'd make it easy for you to escape. And yet, here you are, acting rather blasé about the entire thing.” He bent slightly and leaned forward, gazing at her pointedly. “Zoe? What's going on?”

Zoe's eyes darted from him to the others and she appeared frustrated. “You really don't believe me? What must I do in order to convince you?”

“Maybe act as if you're grateful for having escaped?” Adric offered.

“And share any information you've got about this Talpa,” Tegan added firmly. “Surely you must have overheard something.”

“I'm more interested in finding out why ye left my son there,” Jamie spoke up, the anger in his voice unmistakable. “The Zoe I know wouldnae just leave him there at the mercy of those beasties.”

Zoe sputtered in apparent disbelief as she continued to stare at them. Before any of them could question her further, her nervous expression was wiped from her face and she threw her arms up in the air.

“You're right. I'm not Zoe,” she declared just before her lips curled into an evil smirk. “I've fooled you pretty well, haven't I?” It was more a statement than a question.

The Doctor's eyes narrowed at the creature before him. “The Talpa sent you here. I mean, whoever your leader is ...”

“No one sent me here,” the Talpa disguised as Zoe shot back. “I collected enough information from your friend in order to pass myself off as her. I was hoping to infiltrate your headquarters here and find anything useful in terms of intelligence.” It looked about the room briefly and snorted. “Doesn't seem to be anything of the sort here. But enough of that. It is now time for you to pay.”

Before the Doctor could react, it quickly rushed up to the Brigadier and grabbed his side arm.

“Zoe,” the Time Lord warned as the alien turned to face them, waving the gun in their direction. He held up his hands and gestured to his companions to do the same before facing it once again. “Or whatever your name is … Put that gun down. It doesn't have to be this way. If we could just talk –“

The Talpa threw its head back and uttered a deep laugh, one which the Doctor had to admit disturbed him to hear coming from Zoe's mouth. “You assume that all we need to do is _talk_! As if that is going to make it all better. Yes, Doctor, let us talk out our differences and come to an understanding to resolve them.” The creature narrowed its eyes in disgust. “You really are pathetic.”

“Hey!” Jamie suddenly exclaimed, sounding indignant on the Doctor's behalf. “Now you just watch yer lip, or --”

“Or what?” the Talpa interrupted, assuming a challenging stance before affecting an expression of mockery. “You'll turn me into haggis?!”

'Oh, oh,' the Doctor thought as he watched Jamie slowly approach it, a deadly glare on his face as he seemed to be reaching for the sgian dubh at his side.

“No, but I'll ...” He grabbed the knife and lunged for the alien. “Craig an tuire!!” he shouted.

The Talpa was surprisingly quick, grabbing a hold of Jamie's arm with its free hand and effectively stopping him. Before the Scot could react, the creature immediately headbutted him, throwing him off balance.

The Doctor winced as Jamie grunted, grabbing his head in pain. His knife had fallen to the floor, and Adric had swiftly bent to pick it up.

Apparently, the creature had noticed. “Put that knife down, _boy_ ,” it said menacingly, pointing the gun in their direction once more.

The standoff between them continued for what seemed like an eternity until the Talpa suddenly seemed distracted by something. The Doctor followed its gaze toward the corner of the lab and groaned inwardly.

It had noticed the TARDIS.

“Well, perhaps my little visit wasn't for nothing,” it said, slowly heading in the direction of the ship and never taking its eyes off the Doctor and his companions.

“Look, don't bother,” Tegan exclaimed, a hint of desperation in her voice. “There's nothing in there of interest to you!”

“Oh, no?” the Talpa returned coyly.

“She's right!” the Doctor said. “You're wasting your time.” He suddenly noticed the Brigadier's absence. Where had he gone after she'd taken his side arm? To get reinforcements, he hoped. If they could just keep the Talpa away from the TARDIS until the military commander's eventual return …

“You wretched thing!! Hand over my son!!!” Kathryn suddenly shouted, her face contorted in seething rage.

“Kathryn!” Jamie cried as she rushed forward.

Ignoring him, she lunged for the Talpa – who wasn't expecting it given the momentary look of shock on its face – and knocked it to the floor. The Doctor heaved a sigh, thankful the gun hadn't discharged. He then watched, nearly transfixed as the human woman tried hard to wrestle the gun from the alien's grip. He heard her cry out as the alien kicked her in the thigh.

Jamie had rushed up to them, trying to help Kathryn but the Talpa had kicked him away as well. The Time Lord approached, grabbing Jamie and trying to subdue the Talpa as best he could. Goodness, he'd forgotten how strong these aliens were. And persistent ...

As sheer luck would have it, the Brigadier had chosen that moment to return with backup. “Davis! Woods!” he barked. “That's one of our aliens right there, on the ground. It's got my gun. Restrain it at once!”

The Doctor backed away as he watched the two military men rush over and grab the Talpa, succeeding in taking the weapon and returning it to the Brigadier. The alien struggled and kicked, but they were able to subdue it long enough to restrain it with handcuffs.

The Brigadier nodded at them. “Good work.” He then turned to the Doctor. “What shall we do with it, Doctor?”

The Doctor stared impassively at the restrained alien, who appeared to be growing angrier by the second. “Brigadier, take it to one of the medical rooms. I'd like to collect its vital information – brain activity, blood pressure, the whole lot.”

The military man regarded him incredulously. “But what in blazes is _that_ going to --”

“Just trust me, all right?” the Doctor interrupted. “We will interrogate it, yes. But it's important that we collect this information as well.” He didn't want to say much more in front of the alien, so he merely raised his eyebrows and laid a finger aside his nose.

The Brigadier seemed to catch on and nodded. “Come on,” he directed the other men, leading them down the corridor. The Doctor turned back to his companions, finding them with expressions ranging from confusion to relief and hope, and, in the case of both Jamie and Kathryn, worry.

He nodded to them and tried to manage an encouraging smile, although it didn't quite make it across his face. For their sake, he really hoped they'd finally make some progress on this whole predicament. Not just for their sake, but for the sake of everyone on Earth, he reminded himself.

* * *

The Doctor heaved a sigh as he sat, ruminating away at the bench inside the laboratory. Quite a few hours had passed since he had joined the Brigadier and other UNIT personnel for the interrogation of the Talpa. Once they had securely strapped it to a bed and attached all the medical equipment, they'd set to work trying to dig information out of it.

Admittedly, it hadn't gone well. They had asked it questions regarding the planned attack as well as the location of the hostages, but it either remained silent or gave some sarcastic answer. Frustrated by the lack of progress, they decided to take a short break and then regroup to discuss their options. Jamie had accompanied them, deciding not to actively participate in the questioning but just sit and watch. The Time Lord got a good look at his expression, weary and nearly exasperated, and could feel his hearts breaking for his friend. He knew they had to resolve this whole thing as soon as possible.

Returning to the lab, they had updated Tegan, Nyssa and Adric on their progress, or lack thereof. They too seemed frustrated but still determined to help brainstorm ideas.

The sound of shuffling feet behind him threw the Doctor out of his reverie. Turning, he found the Brigadier eyeing him tiredly. “Well, Doctor, we've been interrogating this 'thing' for hours now and haven't made any progress.”

The Doctor blinked. “Why, Brigadier, have some respect. This 'thing' is a representative of a distinct alien race from the Perigian galaxy called the Talpa.” He turned to Adric who smirked in amusement.

The Brigadier scowled. “The moment this Talpa representative abducted Miss Heriot, not to mention McCrimmon's young son, it lost all rights to a modicum of respect.”

“Fair enough,” the Doctor conceded with a shrug.

“Have you got any ideas on how we should continue? We're nearly out of options and we're only eight hours shy of a day away from this imminent attack on Earth. An attack about which, by the way, they've not exactly been forthcoming.”

“Mm,” the Doctor returned, his mouth flattening into a grim line. He felt a distant memory begin tickling the edge of his brain. “You know, they always struck me as an obstinate, arrogant group.”

He briefly turned to each of his friends, noting the perplexed expressions on their faces. “Oh yes, they were quite narcissistic. Believed there were no better conquerors than themselves. They must have been enraged when they found out their spy got shoved out of the TARDIS and into the time vortex.”

“How could they have found out?” Tegan asked, a skeptical frown on her face.

“They must have been alerted somehow. Perhaps via a portable communication link which suddenly failed? Anything is possible. But the point is they knew, and it must have pushed them to declare war on me and Earth. Why else would they be so hellbent on revenge to attack this planet?”

She seemed to concede this with a slight shrug.

“If only there was some way we could use their narcissism to our advantage. Perhaps it would help extract information we need ….”

His eyes widened as an idea finally struck. Of course! Why hadn't he thought of this before? Smiling in triumph, he turned to the Brigadier. “We should try the interrogation again. This time, let's really make it angry. Perhaps that will get it to reveal its true self, or at the very least, slip and reveal some important information we need.”

“Like the whereabouts of Wee Jamie an' Zoe,” Jamie piped up.

“Right.” He turned back to the Brigadier, who gazed at him with a skeptical arched eyebrow. “We need help revealing them here on Earth before stopping their invasion, yes? Well, if we can find a way to do this en masse, we'll be ahead of them. It will make it that much easier to capture them, perhaps take a few hostages of our own and use them as bargaining chips.”

He then turned to a curious-looking Adric. “Adric, how would you like to make someone really angry?”

“Does he not do that enough already?” Tegan quipped.

Adric glared at her. “You're not funny, Tegan.”

“No, I'm serious,” the Doctor insisted. “I think I've found a way to get to these Talpa. They're such an arrogant sort, making them angry may be just the thing to get them to reveal themselves to us.”

“Or, at the very least, provide information we need to stop the invasion,” the Brigadier added.

“Exactly. Brigadier, I'd like to perform a comprehensive analysis of its brain chemistry.”

He was once again met with blank stares from his companions. “You see, there is an increase in certain substances in the body that are released when we get angry. If I can synthesize those ...”

They still appeared somewhat perplexed with the exception of Nyssa who was nodding thoughtfully, seemingly catching onto his train of thought. “I believe I may be able to help with that, Doctor,” she said, a ghost of a smile on her face.

“Perfect,” the Doctor returned with a smile of his own before address the rest. “I'll explain later.” He abruptly rose from the bench and headed for the TARDIS, Nyssa following. “I'd just like to consult some information in the TARDIS library and collect a few items we may not have here.” He briefly turned to Nyssa. “I could use your help.”

Once inside his ship he flew into action, hurrying down the corridor toward the lab. He now knew what needed to be done and felt the huge weight on his shoulders ease slightly. There was much more to be done, of course, but it was a start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the sort of abrupt ending to this chapter. I was originally going to have it go on longer, but it ended up being much too long so I decided to break it up into two chapters instead. I promise things will get moving a bit more in the next chapter and all that comes after it!


	9. Eight

“What else are you thinking, Doctor?” Nyssa asked, struggling to keep up with him.

He slowed down as they reached the lab and shot her a quick, apologetic smile before launching into his explanation. “There are certain stress hormones that are released when someone is angered, correct?”

Nyssa assumed a brief thoughtful expression and then nodded.

“When the Talpa stowaway who attacked Susan was about to get sucked out into the time vortex, it was struggling to hold on for dear life. Obviously it was under a great deal of stress. That was when I'd noticed its likeness flickering and being replaced with that of Ian, the chap with whom it was struggling.”

“Yes,” she replied, drawing the word out as she regarded him expectantly.

“It would seem the release of these hormones had something to do with this flickering behavior, going from its actual appearance to mimicking that of someone close to it. Well, who is to say it's not capable of doing the same in reverse – change from a human likeness back to its actual form? If we're able to separate these stress hormones, concentrate them into an elixir of our own and administer it to any suspected Talpa, we may be able to reveal their identity.”

Nyssa's eyes widened slightly in realization. “Of course. If we're able to identify these hormones once we've made them angry, and then synthesize them into an antidote of some sort, perhaps we'd be able to reveal a good number of them already here without harming the general population.”

“Yes. I don't expect them to be identical to the ones human beings release, which is why I need some of the texts I've got here as well as the more accurate detection devices. I'm sure the UNIT laboratory has some decent equipment but I doubt their budget would have allowed for what we need.” His eyes suddenly narrowed and he frowned. “Don't tell the Brigadier I said that. But, yes, they should be different to those of humans, and we could synthesize something that will affect only the Talpa.” He clapped his hands in triumph and gestured for her to follow him inside the lab.

As they entered, a bright light quickly flooded the room. Knowing exactly what they needed, the Doctor headed toward the line of cupboards at the back of the room. With Nyssa's help, he collected some measuring and detection devices he was sure the UNIT lab either didn't contain or, if it did, surely weren't as precise for the chemicals he had in mind.

Once he'd gathered them in a large box along with some texts for reference, he smiled in satisfaction. “I believe we've got everything,” he told Nyssa. “Let's go.”

Upon exiting the TARDIS, he found his friends where he'd left them, huddled closely together and appearing in deep conversation.

The Doctor cleared his throat to get their attention. “Just wanted to make you all aware we've discussed our plan of attack, so to speak, and collected the necessary tools.” He briefly nodded to the box he was carrying.

Tegan clucked her tongue, seemingly in jest. “Well, it's about time.”

The Time Lord found it hard to suppress a grin as he caught the Brigadier eyeing her disapprovingly. “Would you mind briefing us all on what you've come up with, Doctor?”

The Doctor nodded and, approaching them closer, placed the box of equipment on top of the bench before taking a seat. He went into detail about that which he'd just shared with Nyssa.

“So we could use this as part of the interrogation?” the Brigadier asked, seeming a bit skeptical.

“Yes, exactly, Brigadier. During the interrogation we'll continue to monitor its brain chemistry, paying special attention as soon as it gets angered. If my theory is correct, we'll see its power of mimicry begin to wear off, just as it had during my first encounter with them on the TARDIS. Once that is confirmed we'll study the chemical makeup in order to synthesize it in elixir form.”

The Brigadier nodded thoughtfully. “All right. I trust your judgment on this, Doctor.”

“Thank you.”

“Is this gannae take long, Doctor?” Jamie suddenly asked, sounding skeptical himself and perhaps slightly pessimistic.

The Time Lord once again felt his hearts break as he studied his good friend. He knew Jamie was desperate for the safe return of Zoe and his son – and he wanted nothing more than to put both his and Kathryn's fears to rest. “I assure you we'll work as quickly as possible, Jamie,” he told him with a smile he hoped was encouraging. “I'd appreciate your help with the interrogation.”

“Aye, of course,” he replied softly. “Anything I can do tae get us closer to finding Zoe an' Wee Jamie.”

“That's the plan, my friend,” the Doctor said, his smile growing as he laid a hand on his shoulder.

* * *

Having sat himself down in a chair, Jamie frowned as he watched a couple of UNIT soldiers strap the Talpa to the only bed in the room. The alien was not resisting as strongly as it had been earlier, thanks to an injection of sedative. It still regarded them resentfully, directing a glare at Jamie himself as well. He had to admit it bothered him to look upon this thing which resembled his good friend so much and have to remind himself it wasn't her. Precious little good it did to comfort him, however, as he was also reminded how the real Zoe was soon to give birth, quite possibly alone in some dark prison if they were unable to find her in time.

He looked up at the sound of footsteps to see the Doctor entering the room, followed by Adric and Nyssa. Jamie managed a weak smile for each of them. Tegan soon stuck her head inside the room and it had dawned on Jamie she had gone to see Kathryn in an attempt to console her.

“How is Kathryn?” the Doctor asked her.

“She seems in better spirits now,” Tegan replied. “I got her a proper cup of tea and something to read.” She gave Jamie a reassuring smile, causing him to relax a bit. “I'll check on her again in a few minutes.”

“Thank you,” Jamie said weakly. He knew how frustrated and consumed with worry his wife was – he himself was trying hard to put up a calm front – and wished he could just wave some magic wand to make it all better.

The Doctor nodded toward their prisoner. “Well, our friend here appears to have been sedated and strapped in safely,” he declared. “Let's have at it.”

Jamie rose from his chair and joined the others as they neared the alien's bed. Already appearing defiant, it refused to look at them.

“Hey, you,” Tegan exclaimed, finally getting its attention. The Talpa sneered at her, prompting her to sneer back. “You think you're just perfect, don't you? Such an outstanding fighter, aren't you?” She slowly circled the bed. “Yet here you are, strapped to a bed with medical equipment snaking out of you. And earlier you called _us_ pathetic.”

Nyssa was next, her eyes narrowed in an accusatory glare. “Why are you attacking Earth? What have all these innocent people done to you?”

“Has your pride really been hurt so much by one of your spies being discovered and thrown out of the Doctor's ship?” Adric asked.

The Talpa glared at him and then looked away. “I won't give up any information,” it uttered belligerently.

“Oh, no?” the Doctor asked in a challenging tone. “Well, then. Get comfortable because you're not going anywhere.” He bent down so he was eye level with the alien, regarding it with a sneer. “You'll stay strapped to this bed until you rot.”

“It's what ye deserve,” Jamie spat out. “Ye took away my little boy an' one of my best friends who is with child! An' I wouldnae doubt ye've put many more people's lives in danger!”

At this, the thing finally turned its head and met Jamie's gaze, its lips curling into a smirk. “Ah yes, the girl and the young boy. Little by little we are draining their life force. It won't be long until they are nothing but dried-up husks and we will have perfected our disguises, allowing us to conquer your planet once and for all.”

Jamie's eyes widened as he felt an explosive burst of anger deep within him. Grabbing his sgian dubh from his belt, he rushed forward, not caring if he made mincemeat out of this thing.

“No, Jamie!” the Doctor quickly exclaimed. Nyssa grabbed Jamie by the shoulder and took the knife away. “We need it alive.”

* * *

“I'm glad you're feeling better. If you need anything, just call,” Tegan said to Kathryn as she headed for the door. Although it was obvious the other woman was still worried, she seemed much calmer now and Tegan was once again glad she could help, even just by talking.

She was just about to leave when she suddenly spotted a navy colored handbag lying on its side on a chair. It was open and she could see the top of some container sticking out of it. Finding a cardigan of similar color draped over the chair, she realized it had been part of the alien's “personal effects.”

She shrugged and was about to leave the room, but that object sticking out of the bag began gnawing at her mind. Bending slightly to pick it up, she realized it was a small vial containing a strange, orange liquid. Her brow furrowed as she studied it, wondering what on Earth it could be. It certainly wasn't perfume, and it didn't resemble any cough medicine she'd ever seen. Whatever it was, she thought it a good idea to show the Doctor.

Kathryn seemed to have noticed. “What is that?” she asked.

Tegan turned to her, holding up the vial. “Dunno.” A smile crept across her face. “But it may just help us.” Pocketing it, she swiftly left the room and headed down the corridor.

* * *

The Doctor sat on a chair at the side of the alien's bed, silently watching it sleep as he tried to come up with a strategy for further interrogation to force it to reveal itself. He'd expected the Talpa wouldn't be willing to give up any information that easily. In addition to being strong and fast, they were also stubborn. He supposed it fit their arrogant nature well. Before the creature had been sedated, samples of its blood had been taken for analysis.

He looked up to find Tegan entering the room and had nearly forgotten she had left again. She had what appeared to be a satisfied smile on her face and the Time Lord couldn't help being curious.

Her smile faded as she got closer, regarding the Talpa in curiosity. “What happened?”

“We've sedated it further,” the Doctor replied. “That was enough questioning for now. We've also taken a blood sample. All that's left to do at present is wait for the results of the blood and brain chemistry analyses.” He frowned. “I can't say for certain whether they're going to tell us much.”

Jamie sighed in frustration. “Doctor, what are we gannae do? I'll never forgive myself if we can't find Wee Jamie and Zoe in time.”

“I know, Jamie,” the Doctor said quietly. “There's got to be something ...” He drifted off as he watched Jamie walk away, kicking the corner of a coat rack in frustration.

“Doctor? I found this,” Tegan broke in, nearing him with strange vial in her hand.

“What is that?” Nyssa asked.

Tegan shrugged. “I don't know. Some sort of elixir?”

“Tegan, where did you find this?” the Doctor asked, regarding it with great interest.

“It was in the bag the alien was carrying. I wasn't sure if --”

“Give it to me,” the Doctor interrupted. Without a word, Tegan handed the vial to him. Holding it up to the light, he squinted as he studied what was inside: a cloudy, orange colored liquid. He frowned in thought. Could this be the elixir generated by the Talpa to mimic humans?

He turned to address Sergeant Davis and Nyssa. “I would like this substance tested. Once we know the basic ingredients, it may give us another piece of the puzzle.” The Doctor handed Nyssa the vial and accompanied the military man out of the room.

Another idea coming to him, he huddled with his companions. “We need to resume the interrogation. This time, don't hold back. Try to make it as angry as possible.” He smiled inwardly as they seemed to relish the challenge.

“Has anyone ever told you how very stupid your people are?” Adric said, his voice oozing with hostility and condescension. “I mean, you couldn't even create a perfect elixir with which to mimic humans.”

“That's right,” the Doctor joined in. “You may have got their physical characteristics and some of the emotional ones down well, but somewhere along the way you overlooked a couple of vital ingredients.” He looked up thoughtfully. “Now, what would those be? Oh, yes, compassion and empathy.”

“You're not so smart after all,” Tegan added.

“Aye, ye're just like a pile o' dung,” Jamie said, his eyes narrowing as he sneered at it. He then seemed to have second thoughts. “No, ye're like the flies on the dung.” He nodded for emphasis.

“Er, you were right the first time, Jamie,” the Doctor cut in.

Jamie briefly acknowledged him sheepishly before facing the alien once again, jaw set in anger. “Ye think ye can outsmart us, threatening our most vulnerable, bribing us tae stand down an' let ye walk all over us! Ye're nothin' but rubbish.”

The alien with Zoe's face stared back at Jamie with what appeared to be barely contained rage. 'Good show, Jamie. Keep it up,' the Doctor thought to himself.

“Even lower than rubbish!” Jamie continued angrily. “The entire universe laughs at ye!”

“YOU LIE!!!” the alien suddenly shrieked. The Doctor watched in shock as it quickly morphed from the likeness of Zoe into its true form, that hairy, bipedal creature with an anteater-like head. He noticed his companions appeared just as shocked.

The creature tried in earnest to free itself of its bonds and it took the Doctor, Jamie and Adric to subdue it. Adric handed the Doctor a syringe filled with the sedative, which he quickly injected into the side of the alien's neck. Within seconds, the Talpa gave up its fight and fell back onto the bed.

“Doctor! What's happened?” Nyssa exclaimed as she rushed into the room.

Finally getting his breath, the Doctor straightened up and smiled. “I believe we've done it,” he told her. “We've succeeded in making it angry.”

“It changed back into that horrid thing!” Tegan confirmed.

“And now we've got one more thing to confirm,” the Doctor announced, accepting the vial of orange liquid from Nyssa and holding it up. After making sure the Talpa was sufficiently sedated, he tilted back its head and poured a few drops of the elixir into its mouth. The alien did not struggle; rather, it appeared confused.

“Num num, that's it, down it goes,” the Doctor prompted condescendingly, keeping its mouth shut and head tilted back. A loud, guttural sound ensured the elixir had been swallowed and the Doctor released his grip on the Talpa, stepping back only slightly.

The results weren't quite what he had expected, however. The alien did assume a more humanoid form, but it was not of Zoe.

The Doctor was staring back at himself.

“Er, Doctor,” Jamie began. “How could --”

“Remember, it usually takes on the form of a person with whom it last interacted.”

Adric shook his head in disbelief. “But you're not the only one who's been in this room with it! You've got me, Tegan, Nyssa and Jamie. Why would it choose you?”

“Well, I assume it's because I've been in closest proximity to it. During my first encounter with them when it was flickering that short amount of time, I saw the likeness of Ian. He had been closest to it for a longer period of time.”

Nyssa had briefly stuck her head out the doorway and nodded in thanks to Sergeant Davis. Stepping back into the room, she had several sheets of paper with her. “Doctor? Here are the latest results of the analyses.”

“Ah, good, thank you,” he said, accepting them from her. Scanning the data closely, it didn't take long for a smile of satisfaction to spread across his face and he chuckled quietly.

“What?” Jamie asked.

He stepped further away from the Talpa which still resembled himself, gesturing for his friends to come closer. “Their ability to conceal their true identity wears off due to an increase in the stress hormones. When human beings are angered, hormones such as adrenaline and noradrenaline are released. Neurotransmitter chemicals called catecholamines are also released, causing a burst of energy that lasts for several minutes.”

Nyssa took over. “The data in this report show that the Talpa experience something very similar, but their versions of these hormones are not identical to that of humans. They leave slightly different markers inside the Talpa.” She smiled. “Which may help us synthesize a compound that will allow us to detect them without affecting humans.”

The Doctor smiled again in triumph, gesturing to the report. “What we've got here is a list of all the necessary players needed to reverse engineer this elixir of theirs. Create an antidote of sorts.” He handed the vial to Nyssa. “I think we should get started. We'll use the first dose on our friend over there.”

Nodding wordlessly, Nyssa accepted the vial and once again left the room.

“The alien detector,” Adric said, catching on. “If we could convert it into a gas and have it pumped all over the city, we'd be able to reveal them all instantly.”

“Exactly.”

They had spent a while discussing the merits of the idea when Nyssa reappeared, holding up another vial and smiling. The Doctor's brow furrowed in curiosity. “That didn't take long.”

Nyssa's smile grew as she handed it to him. “Yes, it was remarkably easy to synthesize, thanks to the equipment we brought from the TARDIS.”

Accepting the vial, the Doctor nodded and gazed at the colorless liquid inside. The bit of relief he felt washing over him was tinged with a hint of excitement. “In no time, we should be able to reveal as many Talpa in the city as possible and take a few hostages of our own for leverage.”

“That's all very well, but we need tae find out where Wee Jamie an' Zoe are,” Jamie spoke up. “Even if we do capture these beasties, we willnae have that much time.”

Reminded once again of how much was at stake here, the Doctor gazed at him sympathetically and nodded. “Let's get back to the interrogation.” He turned toward the supine figure greatly resembling himself. “But first...” Approaching the bed with his hand clutching the vial hidden behind his back, he directed a pointed stare at the Talpa. “You seem a bit thirsty,” he told the thing.

His own face scowled at him. “What do you want?” the alien hissed.

“Oh, just to check a few things,” the Time Lord replied casually, holding up the vial.

Growling in reply, the creature abruptly rose and tried to knock it out of his hand. “Help me hold him down,” he uttered between gritted teeth. Jamie rushed to his side with Tegan opposite them, helping to hold it still. The Talpa continued to struggle under their grip, but not enough to prevent the Doctor from sliding a few drops of the new elixir onto its tongue.

Once he was confident the liquid had been ingested, he took a few steps back, signaling to his companions to do likewise.

For several moments, nothing happened. And then …

The Doctor watched in fascination as the creature's face contorted, its eyes screwed shut and its teeth clenched as if experiencing a great amount of pain. Obviously trying to fight against it, the thing grunted and growled. At last, it uttered a pitiful groan and sunk back onto the bed. Its image began to flicker, growing more and more rapid until nothing but a blur remained, and then quickly resettled itself into its familiar, true image.

The Talpa itself seemed caught off guard by this development and remained still for a fleeting moment. It then seemed to study its hairy arms and hands before gazing at the Doctor and his friends in what appeared to be deep resentment. “What have you done?! What is this?!” it boomed in a deep voice.

“Never mind that,” the Doctor retorted. Nearing the alien's bed once again, he Doctor gestured to Jamie. “You can take the lead.”

Jamie nodded, a look of pure hatred in his eyes as he approached the alien. He simply stared at it for a moment and then, without warning, grabbed his sgian dubh and pressed it into the side of the alien's neck.

“Jamie,” the Doctor quietly uttered, holding up a hand.

Jamie released the pressure on the knife, not taking his eyes off the Talpa as he moved it just slightly away from the thing's flesh. “Now, let's try this again,” he spoke menacingly. “Where are Zoe an' my son?”

The Talpa finally turned to him but there was no longer hatred in its gaze. It now appeared weak and perhaps a bit frightened. “In an abandoned warehouse,” it finally muttered feebly, looking away.

“An abandoned warehouse,” Tegan repeated. “Where?”

The thing turned back to Jamie. “I-in London,” it stammered.

“ _Where_ in London?!” Jamie demanded.

The Talpa was showing signs of exhaustion, as if it were having a hard time staying awake. It's breathing slowed. “On the corner of ...” it managed to utter before its eyes dropped shut and its head rolled to the side.

Jamie was staring at it, mouth open in shock before grabbing it by the shoulders and shaking it. “Come on! Where in London is this warehouse?!”

He received no answer and the Doctor soon realized why. He'd been studying further test data just given to him by UNIT and shook his head sadly. “You're not going to get an answer, Jamie.”

Jamie turned to him, face contorted in confusion. “Why no'?”

“Not only is it unconscious, but this new data points to that of someone whose body is deteriorating at the cellular level.”

“Eh??”

“It's dying.”


	10. Nine

“What d'ye mean it's dying?”

The Doctor lifted his gaze from the unconscious alien to find Jamie staring at him incredulously. “Here, see for yourself,” he replied, holding up the test results. Jamie and the others joined him, scanning the data on the pages but still appeared confused. The Doctor gestured to a subset of results on the second page. “These levels in particular indicate organ failure."

“From that antidote you created? I thought it was only supposed to turn them back into their true selves!” Tegan protested.

“It was!” the Doctor spat out through gritted teeth. Sighing in frustration, he ran a hand through his hair. “There's got to be an explanation for this,” he uttered quietly. He gazed once more at his friends. “We need to study this antidote a lot more closely. Maybe there was some contamination from an outside source.”

Nyssa shook her head. “I don't see how. We followed all protocol to avoid contamination of the --”

“Well somehow, _some_ thing happened!” The Doctor sighed once more in an attempt to calm himself. He really was at a loss to explain what happened and time was of the essence.

“Could that alien have had some underlying physical condition which caused this?” Adric offered.

The Doctor briefly regarded him with a please-tell-me-you're-joking expression, but conceded anything was possible at the moment.

“Doctor, I'll study it some more,” Nyssa assured him. “We'll compare its chemical makeup to that of the original elixir, perhaps see how it interacts with the cellular samples obtained from the Talpa as well.”

“Good job, Nyssa,” the Time Lord replied with a nod and a grateful smile. He watched her leave the room and then turned back to the Talpa lying in the bed. “We need to do what we can to keep this one alive.” He realized the impasse facing them. If the antidote really did cause the Talpa to fall terminally ill, it would present them with a great advantage, especially when dealing with their alien aggressors en masse. However, they were still quite lacking in terms of intelligence and needed to drag as much information as possible out of the alien in their custody.

Especially on the whereabouts of Zoe and Jamie's son.

“Doctor?”

He was unaware of how long he'd drifted off and jumped at the sound of Nyssa's voice. “Hm? What is it?”

“I've got some news.” She gestured for him and the others to follow her out of the room. The Doctor nodded at the UNIT soldier who appeared, seemingly appointed to stay in the alien's room during their absence.

Once inside the laboratory, the Doctor followed Nyssa to one of the benches in the lab upon which various microscopes and other equipment sat. Tegan, Jamie and Adric soon joined and stood around her, waiting for an explanation.

“It appears what happened to the Talpa is a side effect,” she began.

“A _side effect_?” Tegan repeated incredulously.

“I compared the antidote to the original elixir.” Nyssa gestured toward two microscopes in front of her upon which two different slides were housed. “Their chemical structure is almost identical except for one important difference.” She encouraged them to view each slide separately.

The Doctor did so, his eyebrows drawing together as he found a strange, viscous substance inside the sample of the antidote. It appeared much like a foreign body. “What is that?”

Nyssa smiled. “You've found it. I was able to separate that compound and gave it some of the Talpa's cellular sample to interact with. Within seconds, it had destroyed it.”

The Doctor's head shot up and he gazed at her in surprise.

“It acts much like a poison,” Nyssa continued. “I've no idea how this mystery compound came about, but it's present in every single sample of the antidote I've studied.”

Adric merely stood in silence, slack-jawed as if he'd had a sudden realization. “Do you know what this means? We'll have greater leverage in dealing with these aliens. If their people are dying, they'll have no choice but to surrender and leave Earth!”

“Aye, an' they'll have no alternative but to tell us where Wee Jamie an' Zoe are!” Jamie added, his lips twitching into an almost jubilant smile. The Doctor was more than pleased to see some actual hope in his friend's expression for the first time in a while.

“I've just got one question,” Tegan began. “How are we going to get this antidote out to all the Talpa already here on Earth?”

“Well, Adric's idea of turning it into a gas and pumping it throughout the city just might work. If we can have it pumped into the sewer systems, it should expose their true forms without affecting the human population.” A smile crept across the Doctor's face. “I'm sure once their leaders get wind of this, they'll be in quite the hurry to stand down.” He regarded them earnestly. “We need to talk to the Brigadier.”

* * *

Safely hidden behind a hedgerow in a park facing the edge of the city, Jamie shared a restive gaze with his new friends before glancing at his watch. It had been nearly forty-five minutes since they'd left UNIT HQ. Once the Doctor had explained his plan and the rationale behind it, the Brigadier had been hard-pressed to disagree. Nyssa and Adric had set to work converting the Doctor's antidote into a gas, which was then pumped through the sewers and air ducts throughout the city. The Brigadier then had them split up into teams, heading out to different areas more or less equal distances apart in small, predetermined areas along the edge of town. His team included the Doctor and Sergeant Davis, while Jamie had teamed up with Tegan and Adric. There were several more teams consisting of UNIT men as well. Nyssa had stayed back at HQ to monitor their alien 'hostage.'

Jamie accepted the pair of binoculars from Adric, had a quick look and frowned. They'd been here for almost twenty minutes and nothing had changed.

“I hope this isn't all for nothing,” Tegan spoke up worriedly.

Jamie begun to shake his head when an usual movement caught his eye, causing him to stiffen. A young woman with blonde hair had stopped dead in the middle of the pavement and scrunched her face in pain. Her features began contorting and Jamie winced as she let out a cry much like a howl before her body started flickering, to the horror of other – presumably human – passers by. Her actual form was soon revealed and had people shouting in alarm, running away in the opposite direction.

This was soon followed by the same process occurring in a middle-aged man, and then an elderly woman, even several teenagers.

Jamie, Adric and Tegan watched, transfixed at the unbelievable scene unfolding before them. Jamie suddenly jumped as his radio crackled to life.

“McCrimmon? Anything on your end?” the Brigadier calmly asked, although there was a slight tinge of urgency in his tone.

“Aye,” Jamie replied. “We've jus' seen aboot a dozen of these Talpa changin' back. People are panicking.”

“Same situation here,” the military man said. “People are running for the hills … anyone I assume isn't one of these things, that is.”

“It seems yer plan is workin', Doctor,” Jamie addressed the Time Lord.

“Yes,” the Doctor's voice came on the radio, sounding distracted. “I'm keeping an eye on them. Notice anything interesting about their behavior?”

Jamie felt his brow furrow. “Eh? No ...” He was cut off as he felt someone tap him on the shoulder.

“Look!” Tegan exclaimed quietly, pointing in their direction.

Jamie turned to find all the newly revealed Talpa all marching off together in one specific direction, as if they were queuing up to board a bus or train. Jamie's eyes narrowed as he studied them. They appeared rather weak from the slow way they all trudged off.

“Where are they going?” Adric wondered.

“I dinnae know,” Jamie said with a frown. He reached once again for his radio. “Doctor, the beasties are all going off together someplace.”

“Yes, exactly, Jamie,” the Doctor replied. “We're covertly following them, trying to get a handle on where exactly they're heading.”

“We'll do the same,” Jamie said, turning once more to find the aliens still slowly making their way roughly northeast of their location. He then turned to Tegan and Adric. “Come on. Let's see what they're up to.”

Tegan scrunched up her face in disbelief. “What?? If those things find us ...”

Jamie quickly shushed her. “We won' let them!” he insisted, speaking quietly. “We'll just sort of follow at a distance tae see where they're goin'. The Doctor an' Brigadier are doin' so as well.”

“Well can't we just take their word for it?”

Jamie briefly rolled his eyes and then shook his head. “I want tae see for myself. Don' worry, I'll keep ye safe. I've had a lot o' practice during my travels with the Doctor. We'll be real sneaky aboot it.”

Tegan managed a wry smile. “I think we can manage that.” Turning to Adric, she shared a grin with him. “Can't we?”

Jamie smiled back and nodded, gesturing for them to follow him as he crouched low behind the hedgerows, slowly making his way in the same direction as the aliens were moving and being careful not to be seen. Every so often, he glanced back at Tegan and Adric, making sure they stayed hidden and moved as quietly as possible. Whenever there was a break in the hedgerows, they used large shrubs or even rubbish bins to hide behind.

They had covertly followed the aliens for what seemed like a quarter of a mile at least, Jamie noticing they seemed to struggle more the further along they went. He was more interested in learning where exactly they were headed. There didn't seem to be any odd landmarks about, just a large skip propped against the side of a building. Was this where their leaders were hiding out, perhaps?

He was surprised to find they seemed to have no interest in the actual building. Rather, they all trudged up to the skip, stopping mere feet in front of it as if in hesitation. After several seconds, they simply continued walking forward.

“They're going to hit that thing and knock themselves out,” Tegan whispered.

“I don't think so,” Adric said, grinning almost knowingly.

Jamie watched as the Talpa slowly walked right up to the surface of the skip. He nearly expected them to hit it and fall over …

Instead, they disappeared, vanishing into thin air.

“How'd they do that?” Tegan asked after a moment.

A thought suddenly came to Jamie. “I think I've got a pretty good idea,” he replied. “Let's find the Doctor.”

* * *

“Ye wouldnae believe it, Doctor,” Jamie said once they'd met up with the Time Lord and his group not far away. “They all headed towards this large skip an' vanished.” The Time Lord looked unfazed. “Ye've seen it as well?”

“Yes, we have. Either they've managed to cloak their ship, or they've made it to resemble something commonplace here on Earth – in this case, a skip,” the Doctor explained. His expression then became thoughtful and a ghost of a smile appeared on his face. “If that's the case, I can't say I'm unimpressed. It's almost like what the TARDIS can do, blend in with its surroundings.”

“I wonder if they could have stolen the idea from you back when you first encountered them,” Tegan remarked dryly.

“Hm, I don't know,” he mused. “Suppose I should have got a patent for it.”

“Where d'ye think they've gone?” Jamie asked, suddenly feeling a bit of panic rising inside himself. “If they're back in their ship, could they no' escape an' all this will have been for nothing?”

“Jamie, please. It won't come to that,” the Doctor reassured him. “Brigadier, I'd like to keep a team out here to keep an eye on things.”

The military commander eyed him incredulously. “How the devil is that possible if it turns out the ship is invisible?”

“I've a feeling it won't be once they attempt to take off,” the Doctor said, a slight knowing smile upon his face. “We should get back to HQ now and see how our one subject is doing. If its condition is stable, perhaps we'll be able to dig more information out of it.” He then met Jamie's worried gaze. “Especially on your son and Zoe.”

Jamie released the breath he was holding and nodded gratefully.

“If they've gone back to the ship, they may try to contact us again as well.”

“They did appear to be struggling as they walked back, almost as if they were ill,” Tegan pointed out.

“Mm, yes, indeed,” the Doctor mused. “Perhaps they will be in a position to negotiate now.”

Jamie nodded. He certainly hoped so. Anything that would bring them closer to ending this whole nightmare and rescuing Wee Jamie and Zoe.

* * *

“Yes, I believe we may now have a leg up on them,” the Doctor declared as he raced through the corridors of UNIT HQ, his ultimate destination being the room where the lone Talpa was being held. He barely noticed his friends were trying hard to keep up with him, but he couldn't help it – he knew they'd finally reached a breakthrough and was more confident they would be able to avert the aliens' impending attack on Earth.

He skidded to a stop just outside the room and nearly collided with Nyssa. “Oh! Nyssa. We've got some news.” His smile faded as he caught her grave expression.

“I've got some news as well, Doctor,” she began quietly, briefly turning toward the room she'd just exited. “The alien has died.”

“What? Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Yes. It had gone into cardiac arrest and we tried to resuscitate it, but we were too late.”

“You weren't able to get any information out of it?” Adric asked.

Nyssa shook her head. “No.”

The Doctor shut his eyes, sighing in defeat. Reopening them, he noticed the crestfallen look on Jamie's face. Laying a hand on his shoulder, the Time Lord gave him an encouraging smile. “All is not lost, my friend. I'm sure these Talpa will be more than willing to share the information we need.”

“Aye, but how d'ye know they've got any idea of where Wee Jamie an' Zoe are?”

The Doctor gave a thoughtful shrug. “It's quite possible our late friend had earlier shared the location with them.” He smiled again. “Look, I promised you I'd get them back unharmed, and I stick by that promise.”

Jamie looked up at him tentatively at first before a weak smile made its way across his face, causing the Doctor's smile to widen. He'd meant what he'd said, and if it was the last thing he'd do he would return his young son and their good friend safe and sound.

“Now, we must get to the TARDIS, see if we can open up a communication channel,” He said hastily. He then muttered under his breath, “If they're not already trying to contact us.” Nodding towards the end of the corridor, he led the way back to the laboratory in which his trusty ship rested.

Once inside, he neared the console and frowned. There was nothing resembling the radio signal from the Talpa's ship. Everything appeared status quo.

Until he noticed a familiar blinking light and one of the console's monitors coming to life.

“There it is!” Adric exclaimed. He immediately set to work on patching through to the signal, and smiled in triumph as the link was established.

“Doctor. People of Earth,” the strange, deep voice intoned.

The Time Lord's eyes narrowed thoughtfully at the sound and cadence. There seemed to be a hint of desperation, which prompted a slight smirk to tug at his lips.

“Pardon my bluntness, but you don't sound too cheerful,” the Doctor returned, unable to keep the glib note from his voice.

“Spare us your ridiculous prattle!” Yes, they certainly were unhappy. “Our people have just returned to our ship located on the outskirts of your city. They all appeared in grave condition. Our attempts to treat them have been unsuccessful. Most have died, Doctor!”

“I find it rather difficult to muster up any sympathy,” Tegan muttered as she leaned into him.

“Several of them had mentioned inhaling a gaseous substance which caused our elixir to wear off,” the voice continued in quiet anger. “It's fairly obvious it had poisoned them. Most have died and only a mere few are barely clinging to life. They will be quite fortunate if they survive without any permanent physiological damage. We demand that you cease this attack at once.”

“Well, isn't this a surprise,” the Doctor taunted. “You were always thought of as such brilliant conquerors and now here you are, begging for mercy.” Another smirk spread across his face as he slowly clapped his hands. “Well played, chaps. Well played.”

“You've decimated our entire advance fleet!” the Talpa's voice thundered.

“You tried to invade an entire planet!” Adric countered.

“An' ye attacked an' took innocent people hostage!” Jamie added angrily.

“You're in no position to make demands of us,” the Doctor said, his tone quiet but firm.

There was a protracted pause and he heard what sounded much like a miserable sigh of resignation. “We shall negotiate terms for a cease-fire and will leave Earth.” The voice sounded raw and tired. The Doctor might have had an ounce of sympathy had they not threatened Jamie's son and Zoe, let alone the people of his favorite planet.

“We ask that you come aboard our ship so that we may negotiate,” the voice continued. “We shall give you the coordinates of its current location.” The Doctor nodded to himself as he grabbed a piece of paper, jotting down the information.

“Don' trust them, Doctor,” Jamie warned.

“We'll go with you,” Adric said, gesturing toward the others.

“No, I want you all to stay here,” the Doctor replied. “This is something I've got to do myself. An old score to settle.”

They all shared a look and shrugged as if in defeat. Grabbing the paper with the location of the Talpa ship, the Doctor nodded and headed for the TARDIS doors. “I'll be back,” he told his friends. He quickly made his way through the laboratory, eager to end this whole thing and rescue Wee Jamie and Zoe. For the most part he was confident he could pull this off, although having some backup couldn't possibly hurt …

He stopped in the middle of the room as an idea suddenly struck. Perhaps this idea of backup was a bit extreme but given the Talpa's obstinate nature, it might be just what he needed. Wheeling around, he rushed back inside the TARDIS and headed for a cupboard in a mostly disused storeroom. Quickly rummaging through the bottom, his hand fell upon a certain small object. He held it up to confirm its identity and smiled in satisfaction.

Tucking it into his pocket, he hurried out of the room, down the corridor, through the console room and back out into the lab, ignoring what had to be some confused looks from his friends behind him.

* * *

“What was that all about?” Tegan asked, her brows drawn together in confusion after the Doctor's hasty reappearance and retreat.

Jamie shrugged.

“You don't seem too surprised,” Nyssa noted with a hint of an amused smile.

Jamie smiled back. “When ye've been wi' the Doctor as long as I have, ye learn tae stop askin'. It's jus' the way he works an' that's that.”

“Well, whatever it is, I hope he's prepared to go up against those Talpa,” Tegan remarked with a frown.

“Aye.”

“I wish he'd let us come with him,” Adric said, his eyes narrowed in frustration. “I feel useless just standing here when we could be helping.”

Jamie sighed. He understood the Doctor wanted to settle this alone given his history with these beasties, but Jamie sympathized with Adric. He was so used to helping the Doctor in such situations …

His eyes widened as he quickly realized he had more important things to worry about. “I've got tae find out where Zoe an' Wee Jamie are,” he told them, grabbing the jacket he'd earlier doffed and hung on the coat rack.

“But how?” Nyssa asked. “You don't even know where they are. The Doctor said he'd try to get that information from them.”

“I cannae wait that long!” Jamie interrupted sharply. Nyssa's eyes widened in reaction and he regarded her apologetically. “Sorry. But we may no' have that much time. They're in danger. I'll never forgive m'self if anything's happened to them.”

“Well, you're not going alone, are you?” Tegan asked.

Jamie stopped and stared at her, thinking it over. No, that certainly wasn't a good idea. “I'll ask the Brigadier if I can bring some of the UNIT men.”

“I'll come, too,” Adric suddenly announced, quickly making his way over to Jamie.

“What good could you do?”

Adric leveled an angry scowl at Tegan and started to hurl an objection – or insult – in her direction when Jamie suddenly threw his hands up.

“All right!” he exclaimed. Calming himself, he looked Adric over. “Mebbe ye can help us. We may need more help if they're in bad shape.”

Nyssa apparently agreed. “And we'll be here in case we hear from the Doctor,” she said, turning to Tegan. “We'll keep Kathryn company as well.”

Jamie nodded and then turned to Adric. “Let's go talk to the Brigadier.” As they left the TARDIS and headed for the Brigadier's office, Jamie's thoughts turned to what he'd just said regarding Zoe and Wee Jamie. _We may need more help if they're in bad shape._ Goodness, he hoped he was wrong. There was still the issue of not knowing exactly where they were being held, apart from an abandoned warehouse in London on some corner. He doubted they had enough time to comb through every single abandoned building in the city.

Hopefully the Brigadier might be able to help them narrow it down.

* * *

“All right, now it's your turn.”

Nodding, Zoe managed a halfhearted smile and then squinted once more at their surroundings. To pass the time and stay awake, she and Wee Jamie had begun talking about their families. Zoe tried in earnest not to bring up Mark – the ache his absence had left was painful enough – and had merely told him about her friends on the Wheel. The boy had told her all about his friends from school but hesitated when the subject moved onto his family. His face fell and he lowered his head to his knees. Her heart aching for him, Zoe bit her lip to keep her emotions in check.

In an effort to cheer him up, she tried concocting silly stories involving him and his friends. Her exhaustion only allowed her so much creativity, however. Not to mention the painful spasms in her nether regions were becoming a bit more intense and frequent. At last, they moved to a game of “I Spy.”

“I spy with my little eye ...” Zoe trailed off as she suddenly noticed some sort of mist emanating from a vent in the floor not far from them.

“What is that??” Wee Jamie cried.

“I don't know,” she mused. Scooting forward as much as her bonds would allow, she inclined her head and studied the vapor.

“Zoe, no!”

“It's all right,” she insisted, turning to him. As she inhaled through her nose, she detected a faint odor that was rather sweet. Her mind began racing, trying to recall all the chemical makeups of the gasses she'd encountered both on the Wheel and during her time with the Doctor. Nothing about this particular vapor seemed harmful, at least to humans. She certainly didn't feel any side effects just from breathing it in.

Turning back to Wee Jamie, she found he was scrunched up against the wall, cowering in fear. Her pensive expression melted into one of sympathy as she scooted back to her original position and gestured for him to come closer. “Don't worry, Jamie. I won't let it hurt you.” She gestured to the cardigan loosely wrapped around her. “Here, cover your face with it like a mask.”

“But what aboot you?” he asked.

“I'll be fine. I promise.” She was at least ninety-percent sure it wouldn't cause them any harm, but Wee Jamie was still in need of reassurance.

As he snuggled up against her and buried his face in her cardigan, she eventually heard his racing pulse and breathing slow. He'd appeared to doze off briefly when she felt his eyes snap open and he gazed up at her, large eyes questioning.

“See? We're fine. I told you I wouldn't let it harm you.”

The boy's tentative expression was replaced by a relieved smile. “Aye. Ye did. Thank ye, Aunt Zoe.”

He'd lifted his arms, as if asking for a hug and then briefly looked embarrassed, as if remembering she was tied up. Instead, he loosely threw his arms around her in a semi-hug.

Zoe smiled and blinked rapidly to wish away the tears that had gathered at the corners of her eyes. Her show of emotion was cut short by a loud, thumping sound in the corridor.

Wee Jamie moved back and the two watched as a group of three Talpa marched past with a heavy gait as they failed to even acknowledge them (for which Zoe was grateful). They appeared weak yet determined to get to their destination, wherever that was.

“What's wrong wi' them?” Wee Jamie whispered once they were gone.

“I don't know,” Zoe replied. “I wonder if this gas had anything to do with it.” She was cut off as another sharp, painful spasm suddenly struck her. “Ooh!!” Feeling a pool of wetness collecting around her thighs, her eyes widened in dread. “Oh, no.”

“What's the matter??”

“It's the baby!” Zoe exclaimed between ragged breaths. “The baby wants to come out and see the world!!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the cliffhanger...*grin*... And I couldn't resist adding a picture here: Adric, Tegan and Jamie during their "stakeout."


	11. Ten

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of notes: 1. "Mo ghille gaolach" means "My dear boy"; and 2. If you get to the end and you're thinking "No the Doctor surely wouldn't do this, it's OOC!", all I've got to say is it will be explained a bit more in the next chapter. Oh, and "The Seeds of Death." ;)

Exiting the large, abandoned building, Jamie raked a hand through his hair and then gazed up at it with a frustrated scowl. He didn't know how long they'd been at it, but it was the fourth empty building they'd checked and there was no sign of Zoe and Wee Jamie. Once he and Adric had talked to the Brigadier, he had provided them with a list and map of abandoned warehouses in London, narrowing it down somewhat based on the very scant details the Talpa in their custody had supplied before it died. He'd sent two UNIT men with Jamie and Adric: Sergeant Baker, who aided in their search and Captain Donovan, who had driven the jeep. Jamie was thankful to have their help, but they hadn't provided much in the way of reassurance.

Truth be told, neither had Adric, even though he seemed to be trying hard to pinpoint the location. He'd taken the list of available abandoned structures and ran something called a probability test in order to determine which would be the most likely location to which Zoe and Wee Jamie had been brought. Jamie silently wondered why he'd go through all that. It seemed to be more trouble than it was worth and perhaps a waste of time. He conceded it was way over his head and that Adric seemed so sure of it, so perhaps he should try and trust the boy.

He couldn't help being impatient, though. The longer this took, the further he felt his hope seeping away.

Adric seemed to notice. “Sorry. I thought this would be the one.” He gazed up at the structure in frustration. “It _should_ be.”

“Well, it's _no'_ , an' I don' know how much longer I can be patient!” Jamie snapped. As he stopped to calm himself, he suddenly felt a horrifying thought gripping his mind. “They could be nearly dead by now. An' I couldnae live with m'self if we lost them.”

“I know,” Adric simply replied after a beat, avoiding his gaze.

Jamie's brow furrowed in confusion. “Eh? What're ye talkin' aboot?”

“I mean, I know what it's like to lose someone,” Adric repeated quietly, causing Jamie to gaze at him expectantly. “I lost my older brother back when I first met the Doctor.”

Jamie regarded him contritely. “I'm sorry.”

Avoiding his gaze, Adric nodded. “A lot of time has passed since it happened, but I still blame myself for not doing more to prevent his death. So, yes, I know what it's like, and I'm trying hard to narrow down where your friend and your son are. I just ...” His voice trailed off and his eyes widened, as if in realization. “Wait...”

“What?”

“It just came to me … There's one abandoned warehouse we haven't checked, on the corner of Artillery Lane. I'd overlooked it initially, but it does fit the description that Talpa representative gave us.” He gazed excitedly at Jamie. “'On the corner of...'!” he elaborated.

Jamie felt a tiny ray of hope ignite inside himself, but something was still bothering him. “Why didn't ye think of that before?”

“I left it out because it didn't seem to fit into the equation,” Adric replied, frustration evident in his tone. “But now that I think of it, it makes the most sense.”

“Well, I hope ye're right aboot this,” Jamie muttered as he gestured toward Sergeant Baker, who'd apparently overheard the exchange. “Where's Artillery Lane?”

The Sergeant replied with a thin smile. “About five blocks to the east.” He radioed Captain Donovan to inform him they were coming back and of their new itinerary.

About ten minutes later, they stood in front of the imposing building which had obviously fallen into disrepair. There was metal fencing, dilapidated and falling apart on one side, and the main entrance had been fastened with chains.

“I don' see how we're gonnae get in there,” Jamie grumbled. “It's locked tight.”

He then followed Baker's gaze off to the right. “There,” the Sergeant exclaimed, pointing to what was obviously a side entrance. The rusted door was nearly off its hinges and appeared as if someone had recently exited. Jamie wondered if Zoe and his son had managed to escape, provided they were physically able. He felt the intense worry gripping him again and tried hard to banish it as he followed Baker toward the entrance, Adric on their heels.

Poking his head inside, Jamie squinted at the dim atmosphere that greeted them. There wasn't much in the way of light sources. Accepting a torch from Baker, he switched it on and shone it all around. The only noteworthy images he picked up were the crumbling walls dusted with cobwebs. Baker was already setting off down the long corridor before them and Jamie dutifully followed.

It didn't take long for the corridor to open up into a large, main room. There appeared to be remnants of either furniture or equipment inside, covered with thick tarps of a canvas-like material. Jamie nearly felt his mind start wandering as he tried to guess what they were and their use, but he quickly reminded himself why they were here. Lifting his gaze toward the ceiling, he found it went up and up and the building's open floor plan revealed a wrought iron staircase going up at least three or four floors.

“Oh, no,” he sighed. “This place is huge. It'll take forever tae find them … if they're even here.”

He turned to find Baker gazing at him in sympathy before picking up on the sound of a voice coming from the opposite corner of the room.

“I've found something!” Adric called. Quickly making his way in that direction, Jamie found him standing next to an open door. Jamie shrugged, wondering what was impressive about it. Baker then shone his torch inside, hitting a set of stairs leading down.

“Now, if I were going to take people captive, where would I hide them?” the Sergeant asked Jamie, eyes practically twinkling as if to say 'Eureka!'

Jamie briefly considered it and a slight smile tugged at his lips. It did make sense. “Aye, let's go.”

They carefully made their way down the dark staircase and soon found themselves at the start of another long corridor, the only light source being a flickering bulb hanging from the ceiling. Jamie boggled at the sheer number of rooms before them on each side of the corridor. Most of the doors appeared locked. They certainly had their work cut out for them.

They each decided to split up, taking a certain number of rooms to check. Adric had taken those which were unlocked, the locked ones divided among Jamie and Sergeant Baker. Easily kicking open one of the doors, Jamie rushed inside and felt his heart sink. Apart from a thick coating of dust, a thatch of cobwebs and what appeared to be old books haphazardly lying on a shelf, the room was empty.

Just like the other six he had checked.

Jamie shone his torch once more down the remainder of the corridor, wondering exactly how long it would take before they reached the end. He sighed, beginning to feel a seed of hopelessness germinate inside him when a little voice chastised him, reminding him no one ever said this was going to be easy.

He suddenly felt someone tugging at his arm and turned to find Adric looking around, eyes wide.

“Did you hear that?” the boy asked.

“Eh? Hear what?”

“It sounded like someone crying.”

Jamie began to shake his head when he suddenly picked up on a faint sound. His eyes narrowing in concentration, he realized it did sound much like a cry coming from somewhere further down the corridor.

“I hear it, too!” Baker said. “Come on!”

The three rushed down the corridor as the sound slowly grew louder, accompanied by a sound of what sounded like heavy breathing. At last they stopped just outside a large, open room. Cautiously entering, Jamie felt his jaw drop at the site before them: Zoe was lying against the wall, appearing exhausted and in distress while Wee Jamie had his head up against her and was crying softly.

Jamie rubbed his eyes for a moment and then refocused them on the pair, making sure they were actually here in front of him. He felt an overwhelming sense of relief despite the panic which hadn't left him just yet.

The crying stopped abruptly as Wee Jamie lifted his head and stared at Jamie, his mouth dropping open in shock. “Da!” he cried. He raised his arms and attempted to run up to Jamie, but scowled as something was holding him down.

Bending, Jamie found a piece of rope tied around his right ankle and then tied to an iron ring attached to the wall. Grabbing his sgian dubh, Jamie sawed through the rope, removing it with little difficulty. Wee Jamie examined his ankle briefly and then rushed up to Jamie, clinging to him.

Jamie hugged him tightly. “Mo ghille gaolach,” he whispered, his voice faltering as he was unable to prevent the tears from filling his eyes. Sniffling to drive them away, he moved back and looked the boy over. He appeared tired and distressed but apart from that, seemed to be well.

Still, Jamie had to make sure. “Were you hurt?”

Wee Jamie shook his head. “No. Those alien things did summat where they touched me here an' made this light come out.” He gestured to his chest. “It made me tired but it didnae hurt me.”

Jamie nodded, feeling a rush of anger deep down at the aliens responsible for this, but still thankful they hadn't hurt his son more than that.

Letting go of the boy, his gaze drifted over to Zoe lying with her back against the wall, her head resting on top of a folded bundle which, upon closer inspection, was revealed to be Wee Jamie's jacket. Jamie felt his heart break as he noticed her wrists had been bound, much like his son's ankle. He rushed over to her and cut the rope, taking care as he released it from her wrists.

“Zoe,” he said, his voice thick with emotion. “Are you all right?” Boy, if that wasn't an understatement. “Have they hurt ye?”

Appearing utterly exhausted, Zoe simply shook her head. “No, not really,” she replied. “But … “ She suddenly winced and cried out in pain.

“Aunt Zoe says her baby wants tae come out!” Wee Jamie exclaimed, his eyes wide.

Jamie regarded her seriously. “The bairn??”

Zoe nodded, her face red and scrunched up in pain.

Jamie simply stared at her in shock for a moment. Recovering, he turned to Adric and Sergeant Baker. “We need tae get her back to Headquarters.”

“What can they do for me there?!” she blurted in distress.

“They can help,” Jamie insisted. “They've got medical personnel who can help deliver the baby.”

“They're trained to do that?”

“Aye, I'm sure they are...” Jamie trailed off. He'd never seen anyone there deliver a baby, of course. Perhaps he was being foolish and that a hospital was the better option.

Zoe didn't seem to mind at the moment, however. “How far are we from HQ? We may not have that much time!”

Jamie shook his head. “Oh, no, no … No, we should be able tae ...” He trailed off once more as he caught the grim expression on Baker's face.

“We may not have enough time, but we can try,” the Sergeant offered.

Jamie nodded, grabbing Wee Jamie's hand, while Baker and Adric bent to pick Zoe up.

She suddenly cried out in pain and they lowered her back down to the floor. “We have no time! The baby is coming!” she insisted.

Jamie momentarily gaped at her and then turned to Baker. “What can we do?” he asked, his eyes widening.

The Sergeant gave a resigned shrug. “What else can we do?”

Jamie's mouth dropped open as he looked from the Zoe back to the military man. He couldn't believe what he was implying. “B-but I dinnae know anythin' aboot deliverin' a baby!” he cried desperately. Calming a bit, he regarded the other man hopefully. “Do you?”

Baker sighed. “Not very much, I'm afraid, although I _did_ witness my wife giving birth to our daughter four years ago.”

“Oh, well, that's just great,” Jamie muttered sarcastically.

“Will you two stop bickering and help me?!!” Zoe shouted. “The baby is coming!!”

Jamie felt numb as he turned to gaze at her until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“I'll try to help you as best as I can,” Baker said, a small smile – one he probably hoped was reassuring – on his face. It didn't instill Jamie with very much confidence and he tried desperately to reach UNIT via his radio. He didn't seem to be picking up any signal, however, and by the time he searched the building for a working telephone, Zoe could have already given birth.

Sighing heavily, he removed his jacket as he approached Zoe, praying silently they'd be able to deliver her baby safely.

* * *

Gazing at the familiar surroundings before him, the Doctor shrugged. It was the same one he'd observed the large group of their members marching toward in great distress earlier. He'd had a feeling the coordinates the Talpa supplied to him would lead to this location and was glad to see it confirmed. He was still curious as to whether they had simply cloaked their ship, or if their technology allowed it to blend into the surroundings as a skip. Well, there was only one way to find out, wasn't there?

He took a few steps closer when a large, copper-colored, cylindrical vessel which tapered into a conical shape at the top materialized in front of the skip. Impressed, the Doctor raised his eyebrows. He waited for several moments to see if anyone would appear, but no door had opened.

“Well? Here I am!” he called. “Are you going to let me in or what?” He briefly looked around, thankful there weren't any passers-by in the area.

He nearly jumped as a mechanical door opened outward, lowering much like a drawbridge and revealing a staircase. A Talpa – in its true form – appeared in the doorway.

“We've been expecting you, Doctor,” it announced. “Come.”

Nodding, the Doctor forced a smile and ascended the stairway, following the alien inside. He soon found himself inside a large, open room, much like a receiving area, featuring plain white floors and walls. A short step up stood a large, translucent table with ornate chairs, upon which a group of five Talpa sat. The Doctor surmised they were the group's leaders. He regarded them each with a polite nod and smile. They didn't return the gesture, however, their eyes narrowed in what appeared to be anger.

The Talpa sitting in the middle pushed its chair back and stood up, gesturing for the Doctor to take a seat at the smaller table in front of them.

“The members of our advance fleet have just returned,” it said, seeming to be trying to suppress some real anger. “They were in abominable shape, weakened and coughing, even delirious. We've tried to save them, but the poison overtook them quickly. You've killed off nearly all our people! We are the only ones left.”

The Doctor's eyes narrowed. “Well, that's more your problem than mine,” he replied, trying to suppress some anger himself. “You tried to attack an entire group of people. You abducted a good friend of mine and another good friend's young son. You threatened their lives. You expect me to take kindly to that?”

“You brutally killed our second ranking officer by shoving him into the time vortex!” another Talpa thundered. The Doctor raised his eyebrows questioningly, prompting it to continue. “The signal from his tracking device had cut off and failed, no longer supplying us with information. It was quite obvious what had happened to him.”

“Oh, come now,” the Doctor chuckled incredulously. “You really believe I'm that stupid? That was not your 'second ranking officer.' That was some low-level mole. And for the record, he was choking my granddaughter.”

“You had allied yourselves with our enemy!” the first Talpa shouted. “Did you not expect us to seek revenge?!”

“Oh, come on,” the Doctor groaned. “I did no such thing. We just happened to --”

“Forgive the interruption, Sir,” a new Talpa cut in, having approached from a corridor on the left. “I bring an update on the last group's condition.” As the alien neared the main Talpa seated in the center, the Doctor watched as he conferred closely with the others. Once they'd appeared sufficiently distracted, he felt around in his pocket for the small device he'd taken earlier from the TARDIS. Briefly studying the aliens once more, he realized in resignation there was no other alternative; his plan needed to be carried out.

Glancing around, he quickly rose from his seat and crouched down. Grabbing the device from his pocket, he twisted both sides in opposite directions and pushed a small button. He smiled in satisfaction as it briefly lit up and he found a groove near one of the table legs, perfectly sized to fit it. Placing it inside the groove, he then stood up and returned to his seat, acting casually. Luckily, all the Talpa seemed too preoccupied to have noticed.

Or at least he thought they were …

He suddenly noticed one of them meeting his gaze. “Doctor?” it asked, carrying a tone of suspicion.

The Doctor shrugged. “Sorry about that. I just dropped something.” He plastered an innocent smile on his face.

* * *

Jamie took a moment to wipe the sweat from his brow and then returned his gaze to Zoe, lying on the ground before him, his jacket underneath to cradle her.

“Push, Zoe,” he coaxed her softly.

He bit his lip to keep from cringing as Zoe's face scrunched up in pain and she cried out in agony. She was obviously in great distress and it pained Jamie to see her this way. How he wished this was taking place in the much nicer, better equipped environment of UNIT HQ, but Zoe's baby didn't want to wait.

He briefly turned to Adric, kneeling next to her and holding her hand. The boy seemed just a tad overwhelmed by all this, but had still insisted on helping. Sergeant Baker stood on the other side, coaching both of them on what needed to be done. Even if he wasn't exactly an expert, Jamie was grateful for any assistance he had to offer.

Jamie picked up the surreptitious nod Baker gave him and turned to Zoe. “Again, Zoe. Push.”

Zoe tried once more to push and ended up howling in pain. She suddenly tightened her grip on Adric's hand, causing him to yelp. He got it free and stuck his fingers in his mouth, as if that would somehow lessen the pain. Jamie quickly turned to him, eyeing him in concern as he noticed what seemed to be bruises forming.

Adric dismissively shook his head. “I'll be fine,” he assured Jamie. The Scot regarded him curiously for a moment before turning back to Zoe.

“She's almost there.” Jamie could barely hear Baker's voice over Zoe's cries, but he crouched down low once more in front of her and his eyes widened at the sight of the little round head that had suddenly appeared. Jamie was torn between being fascinated and almost emotional. The bairn was about to introduce himself … or herself.

Zoe's eyes had briefly focused on Jamie. He felt his lips twitch into a fond smile. “You're doin' great, lass. The bairn is almost here. Keep pushing.”

He found a fleeting smile on Zoe's face before it contorted once again in pain as she pushed with all her strength. Jamie quickly moved his jacket forward, preparing to cradle the baby with it once it was here. He'd soon realized this wasn't as tough as he'd thought, thanks to some very old memories that had suddenly burst through his subconscious. He'd once witnessed his aunt giving birth to his younger cousin. He'd been very young at the time, and was surprised he'd remembered it after all these years. Perhaps it was what he needed to help him through this, although he was also grateful for Baker's instructions.

Refocusing his eyes on Zoe, he noticed the baby was almost out. “Just one more push, Zoe.” He turned to Baker for confirmation and the other man nodded. “D'ye think ye can do it?”

Zoe gave a little nod before she worked her muscles once more, crying out in pain.

Before long, the sound of an infant crying filled the room. Adric had checked on Zoe while Jamie and Sergeant Baker wrapped the baby in Jamie's jacket. Jamie's eyes filled with awe at the little bundle in his arms. His gaze flew over to Zoe who was panting madly. Beads of sweat ran down her face and her eyes seemed unfocused for a brief moment before she met Jamie's gaze, her eyes almost questioning.

“It's a girl,” Jamie told her, unable to keep the delighted smile from his face.

He felt his smile widen as Zoe replied with a weak smile of her own. Jamie handed the baby to her, watching fondly as Zoe cradled the baby against her, a smile on her face so wide it threatened to crack it in half.

Suddenly feeling a tug on the corner of his shirt. Jamie turned to find Wee Jamie gazing at him, eyes widened. “Da, may I see Zoe's bairn?”

Jamie couldn't help but chuckle. “Aye. I think she may allow ye a quick look-see, Wee Jamie,” he said quietly, leaning into the boy. He then gestured for him to approach Zoe and then looked up at her, silently asking for her permission.

His old friend nodded with a smile and Jamie watched the boy slowly approach her. Zoe had peeled back the folds in Jamie's jacket, allowing Wee Jamie to see her newborn daughter. Jamie smiled again at the sight of his son's eyes boggling and mouth dropping open in apparent awe.

“She's beautiful,” he said, turning back to Zoe who smiled at him affectionately.

Adric approached as well, looking down at the baby and smiling. “She's so tiny.”

“I think she's ready for a nap,” Zoe told them. “Come to think of it, I could certainly use one, too.”

“Oh, aye, I think we all could,” Jamie added, the magnitude of the situation finally beginning to hit him and make him feel as if he were going to topple over any minute.

Zoe nodded, gazing once more at her daughter with affection and possibly a hint of concern. “I really hope she's healthy after all that's happened. Not just giving birth to her … well … here, but also after what the Talpa had done to us.”

Sergeant Baker gave her a reassuring smile. “She seems perfectly healthy to me, but they'll do an examination back at HQ to make sure. Speaking on that, perhaps this will finally work.” Grabbing his radio, he switched it on and tested it out, a smile appearing on his face as he was finally able to get a signal. “Greyhound Two, how do you read me?”

Jamie smiled as he thought he heard a sigh from the Brigadier on the other end. “Packer Two, I read you loud and clear. What's the situation?”

“Everything is fine. We're on our way, bringing back five civilians with us.”

“Five? I assume you've found Miss Heriot and McCrimmon's son, then?”

“Affirmative.”

“Well done, Sergeant. Then there should only be four with you. Who else is there?”

Sergeant Baker smiled. “We're bringing back a young Miss Heriot as well, Sir.”

There was a brief pause. “Oh. I see.”

* * *

The Talpa who was assumed to be the main leader glowered down at the Doctor. “I was just informed the last member of our advance fleet has died. We are the only ones on board this ship.”

The Time Lord smirked. “So, what you're trying to say is, I've won.”

The anteater-like features made it difficult to tell, but the leader was almost certain to be scowling at him. “We are saying nothing of the sort.”

The Doctor gave them a sarcastic nod. “Admit it: we've bested you. You've got nothing now.” He rose from his chair and paced around the table. “You thought you were the most brilliant alien race in all the galaxies, and now you've been reduced to practically nothing. You're no match for us. Now, leave. There's nothing here for you on Earth.” He approached them closer, fixing them with a pointed stare. “Leave.”

“Once we return to the home planet, we shall capture and enslave the Chronum,” another of their supposed High Council declared. “We shall replicate and our numbers will be vast once again. Then we will be able to return to Earth and settle this once and for all.”

Taking his seat once again, the Doctor raised his eyebrows, regarding them almost expectantly.

“This is not over, Doctor.”

The Time Lord shrugged. “Whatever you say.” He stood up and, offering his watch a cursory glance, began walking out of the room toward the door through which he'd earlier entered. “And now I believe I've got some cleaning up to do.” As he approached it automatically opened, as if being controlled by some motion sensor. Standing in the doorway, he nodded, giving them a disarming smile. “Good day,” he said just before stepping back outside.

As he moved away from the ship he felt a slight vibrating sensation and wheeled around, finding the no-longer-cloaked vessel lifting off the ground and preparing to take off. Perhaps it was wrong, but at that moment the Doctor felt a satisfied smile begin to tug at his lips. He turned to walk away when the quick glance at his watch made him realize he should quicken his pace a bit. He broke into a jog until he got about eighty yards away and ducked on the other side of a hedgerow. Yes, seemed a good distance to watch the ship's ascent.

The Talpa's ship had reached a decent altitude when it began to shake violently for several moments before it was rocked by a huge explosion. The Doctor watched, transfixed at the site of a giant fireball which lit up the sky.

“Sorry, chaps. I believe this is indeed over,” he muttered to himself as he stood and began to make the trek back to UNIT HQ.


	12. Eleven

“So, after they got into that whole bombastic speech justifying their revenge, I waited for a reasonable distraction, planted the slive bomb, set it, and wrapped up our discussion.”

“So, that's what lit up the sky about half an hour ago,” Adric said.

“Yes, indeed.” The Doctor then did a double take. “You saw it?”

“Yes, we'd heard a noise and saw a giant fireball some distance away,” Nyssa confirmed.

“It was a bit hard to miss,” Tegan added with an amused smirk. “I've got to admit I'm surprised it had all to do with you.”

“I'm no',” Jamie said. As they all turned to face him, he simply shrugged and forced an innocent smile. He hadn't forgotten how 'his' Doctor had once tricked the Ice Warriors, leading them into an orbit around the sun which ended up destroying their whole fleet.

The Doctor's expression revealed his thoughts were on the same wavelength. “Perhaps it was a bit rash, but given their obstinate nature I didn't expect them to agree to any cease-fire terms. Not only have we saved Earth, but the Chronum as well. The Talpa were planning on capturing and enslaving them once they returned to their planet.”

The Brigadier nodded. “There's still one thing I find unsettling, Doctor. You mentioned this was their advance fleet. Might we still have their remaining population to deal with at some point?”

The Doctor smiled, almost knowingly. “I highly doubt that, Brigadier. I'm sure they'll find out what happened to their leaders and think twice about any future attempts to attack Earth.”

The Brigadier gazed thoughtfully at him for a moment and then nodded. “I see. Well, despite the lowered risk to Earth, we'll remain vigilant.”

“What about Zoe? Is she going to be all right?” Tegan suddenly asked.

“Yes, she's going to be fine. We've got her and the baby in a room for observation.”

“Aye, Wee Jamie'd already been in tae see them again,” Jamie supplied with an amused smile. “He's a wee bit tired, so Kathryn's taken him home tae get him some proper rest.” Recalling how relieved and ecstatic Kathryn was to have their son back safe and sound, he felt his smile widen.

“I assume Zoe welcomes the rest as well,” Nyssa said with a smile. “I'd love to see the little one, but we can wait until she's up for visitors.”

As if on cue, Captain Henry Phillips, an Army Medical Doctor working with UNIT, stuck his head inside the room. “Miss Heriot is awake and asking for you all.”

“Well, let's not waste any time, then,” the Brigadier declared, rising from his seat and leading the way out into the corridor.

Upon entering the small, private room, Jamie found Zoe lying in the bed, holding her baby girl close. The little one, bundled up in a white blanket, appeared to be dozing peacefully. They both looked quite serene and Jamie couldn't be happier for it after that harrowing ordeal.

Phillips approached and checked her vitals, careful not to wake the infant. The smile and nod he gave them just before leaving the room seemed to confirm they were both fine. A smile lit up Zoe's face and she nodded to Jamie and the others, as if requesting them to come closer.

“How are you feeling, Miss Heriot?” the Brigadier asked.

“Tired,” Zoe replied with a sigh. She then gazed down at the baby in her arms and smiled. “But it's a good 'tired.'”

The Doctor smiled gently. “The good kind is always the best.”

“So, everything's normal?” Adric asked.

“Yes, Doctor Phillips said she's a perfectly healthy little girl.” Her smile faded and she gazed at him apologetically. “I'm sorry about the hand.”

Adric smiled in amusement and shook his head. “Don't be. I heal quickly.” He revealed what appeared to be a completely bruise-free hand. Zoe looked surprised for a fleeting moment before managing a relieved smile.

“Can I see?” Tegan asked, stepping a bit closer. Off Zoe's nod, she bent slightly and peeled back the folds in the blanket. “Hey, you,” she greeted softly. “I think I see a bit of mischief in that face,” she told Zoe, a spark of amusement in her eyes. “My Auntie Vanessa always said to watch out for those; they can end up being trouble.” Her little smirk soon faded. “She's beautiful.”

“May I hold her?” Nyssa suddenly asked.

“Of course,” Zoe replied, adjusting her position and carefully handing the baby to the young Trakenite woman. Nodding in thanks, Nyssa held Alana in her arms, her face lit up in a fond smile. She began humming softly as she swayed a bit from side to side. Zoe's baby let out what sounded like a sigh of contentment.

“You're a natural,” Tegan remarked, seemingly impressed.

“I've had some experience with babies on Traken. I looked after the servants' children from time to time.” Nyssa gazed back down at the baby and smiled once more before turning to Zoe. “I believe she's got your dimples.”

The Doctor went around to her side of the bed to get a closer look. “Yes, I can't help but agree,” he said, smiling at Zoe in amusement. “Have you picked a name for her yet?”

Zoe's smile faded and she regarded him blankly, her face flushed as she shook her head. “I thought I'd had a name picked out but I can't think of it now.” Jamie's brow furrowed as he gazed at her. She seemed frustrated and almost ashamed. “I suppose after all that's happened the past few days, it's understandable, but ...” She stopped and sighed. “I've got to admit it's driving me mad.”

Nearing her bed, Jamie gazed at her in sympathy. He'd have thought that would have been the first thing Zoe would have come up with. It was rather unlike her, although he conceded she had a point. After all she'd been through, especially today, it was no surprise it had eluded her.

Gazing down at the baby in fondness, a certain name suddenly struck him and caused his smile to widen. It seemed perfect. He only hoped she'd agree.

“Alana,” he said quietly. Lifting his head slightly, he caught the expectant looks on the others' faces. “It's Gaelic an' means 'beautiful.'”

Zoe regarded him in slight surprise and then gazed down at the baby. “I like it. It really suits her.” To their near astonishment, the baby opened her eyes and seemed to be trying for a smile. “And I think she does, too.”

“Yes, it's a beautiful name,” the Doctor added before turning to Jamie. “Doctor McCrimmon, I must say you did a marvelous job helping bring this little one out into the world.”

Jamie barely caught the fond and slightly amused smiles of his friends before he ducked his head, feeling the warmth rising in his cheeks. “Och, come on,” he softly protested, a shy smile on his own face. “I barely did anythin'.”

“Barely did anything??” Zoe repeated incredulously, her eyes widened.

“Aye. Sergeant Baker helped.”

“Well, from what he shared, you did most of the work, McCrimmon,” the Brigadier spoke up. “You are to be commended.”

Still feeling embarrassed, Jamie gave a slight shrug. “Well, I-I'd seen my auntie givin' birth tae my younger cousin, but I wasnae much older than four ...”

“Oh, knock it off!” the Doctor lightly admonished him. “Give yourself some credit, Jamie. Zoe and the baby are healthy, thanks to you, and that's all that matters.”

Meeting the Time Lord's gaze, Jamie smiled gratefully. “Aye, ye're right. Thank ye, Doctor.”

The Doctor nodded and then turned his attention to little Alana. Stepping a bit closer, Jamie noticed the infant yawning. The Time Lord turned back to his friends. “Well, what say we leave them alone for a little while? After all the excitement, I'm sure they need some more rest. We can visit again later.”

The others nodded and began filing out of the room. As Jamie turned back to Zoe, he caught the tired smile on her face as she laid back and gazed at the infant in her arms. Suddenly he felt the desire to linger just a bit more.

“D'ye mind?” Jamie asked as he approached her once again. “I willnae stay long, I promise.”

“It's all right, Jamie,” Zoe said, the smile never leaving her face.

Taking a seat at the side of her bed, Jamie nodded. “I'm jus' glad ye're all right. That ye're both all right after what's happened.”

Zoe nodded. “I want to thank you for coming to my rescue.” He found her blushing once again as her expression turned apologetic. “And I want to apologize for the ridiculous way I acted back at your house. I must have worried you sick.”

Avoiding her gaze, Jamie sighed. “'Tis all right.”

“No, really. It was foolish of me to run off like that in such dangerous circumstances. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have ended up captured by the Talpa and chances are I would have had my baby in the comfort and safety of a hospital.”

Jamie finally lifted his head to meet Zoe's gaze. It ached him to see the guilt eating away at her. Rising from the chair, he leaned over and gave her a gentle, one-armed hug, taking care not to disturb the baby. “It's all right, Zoe,” he told her softly. “The important thing is ye're safe.” Moving back, he smiled. “An' it turned out you were able tae keep Wee Jamie company, so I must thank ye for that.”

Even as she smiled, a bit of sadness tinged her expression. “I'm really sorry he got captured, Jamie.”

“It's no' yer fault. I'm jus' thankful ye were there tae comfort him. He really thanks ye as well.” He smiled in amusement. “He's taken tae callin' ye 'Aunt Zoe.'”

Zoe giggled. “Yes, I know.” She smiled fondly and then once again regarded the baby asleep in her arms. “And this little one has you to thank for helping her come out into the world.” Her smile widened as she traced the baby's cheek with her finger. “Alana. I really love the name. The fact you picked it – not to mention everything else you've done for us – it will always make me think of you every time I look at her.”

Jamie's smile quickly faded and he gazed at Zoe in confusion. “What're ye saying? Ye're no' going back to the Wheel, are ye?”

Zoe offered him a protracted gaze and then shook her head, seemingly in frustration. “I don't know. Perhaps with Mark gone, it wouldn't be a good idea; it might bring back memories.” She sighed heavily. “I'm convinced he's never coming back.”

Jamie gazed back at her, his expression turning lightly admonishing. “Hey, now, it --”

“Forgive me for interrupting,” the Doctor suddenly announced, sticking his head inside the room. “I thought you might like to know we were able to patch through to the Wheel's signal, all thanks to Adric!”

“Eh?” Jamie not only felt annoyed by the interruption, but the Doctor's mention of the Wheel along with the proud expression on his face made it worse.

“Well, in case Zoe felt like returning once she's able to get up and moving – and the baby is cleared for travel – I thought it a good idea to update them on the situation.”

Quickly turning to Zoe, Jamie found her eyes widened in surprise. “Oh. Well, that's … that's wonderful. Thank you, Doctor,” she uttered awkwardly.

Jamie bit the inside of his lower lip as he felt his annoyance beginning to bubble over. Standing up, he approached the Doctor. “Er, Doctor, could I no' have a word with ye in private?”

The Doctor seemed confused but nodded at Jamie to join him out in the corridor. Jamie then gestured for them to walk a bit further so Zoe couldn't overhear. Once they reached a suitable distance, he wheeled around, eyeing the Doctor accusingly.

“What's all this aboot contacting the Wheel? Why'd ye feel the need tae do such a thing?” he nearly demanded.

The Time Lord blinked, obviously not expecting it. He gave an innocent shrug. “Well, I assumed she'd want to go back there. After all, it's her home. I very much doubt she'd rather stay here on Earth.”

“An' how do ye know that?”

The Doctor seemed to be studying him and then sighed. “You really missed Zoe more than I expected.”

Avoiding the Doctor's gaze, Jamie nodded. “Aye. If ye must know, I was verra upset when she decided not tae travel wi' me an' yer future self. But it's no' just that, Doctor. I'm thinkin' of Zoe's feelings as well. She just told me she wasnae sure if she wanted tae go back, that with her husband gone it might bring back memories.” He eyed the Doctor desperately. “At least she could stay here on Earth with friends who care aboot her.”

The Doctor gazed at him for a moment and offered a sympathetic smile. “I understand, Jamie. But it seems Zoe may not have to worry about her husband any longer.”

Jamie's eyes narrowed in curiosity. What on Earth was the Doctor on about?

The Time Lord seemed to read his mind. “Follow me,” he continued, leading the way toward the laboratory and then into the TARDIS.

Once inside, Jamie followed the Doctor to the console where Adric stood, monitoring the signal and then gesturing to the scanner. Studying it, Jamie found a strange, middle-aged man in uniform, the familiar background of the Wheel behind him.

The Doctor approached the scanner and smiled. “Technician Jenkins, this is Jamie McCrimmon. He's the old friend of Zoe's I was telling you about.”

The man on the screen appeared grateful as he nodded. “Thank you, Mister McCrimmon, for all you've done for Zoe. We've missed her here on the Wheel and will be very pleased to see her once again.”

Jamie nodded. At that moment he felt a pang of disappointment begin eating away at him but tried to banish it.

“So, as you were telling me, Mark has returned and is doing well?”

“Correct, Doctor. He's just finished his medical evaluation, as a matter of fact. He wanted to speak with you himself.” The technician suddenly moved back and a slender, younger man with dark hair, wearing a similar uniform, appeared.

“Greetings, Doctor,” he began. “I'm Mark Stevenson, Zoe's husband.” Jamie tuned out most of his ensuing speech, which seemed to be about his expedition and how he'd gone missing. “Anyway, I'm more than relieved to be back. I know how worried Zoe must have been.”

“Yes, I can imagine what a surprise it was to learn she was pregnant.”

The man nodded, appearing slightly overwhelmed and as if he were trying to bite back some heavy emotion. “Yes, it was. Jenkins filled me in on everything that had happened to her on Earth as well. I wish to thank you all for what you've done for her and the baby.” He then smiled. “Especially you, Mister McCrimmon. Zoe has spoken a lot about you.”

Jamie lifted an eyebrow. “Has she now?”

The man laughed good-naturedly. “Yes. She spoke of you as a good friend. I'm so glad she was in such good hands during what must have been a very stressful time.” Jamie couldn't help feeling particularly embarrassed at the moment, but simply nodded. Mark then addressed the Doctor. “Have you any idea when they might be coming back?”

The Doctor smiled. “I'll have her speak to you about it.”

Jamie eyed him in confusion. “Eh? Doctor, surely Zoe's no' strong enough yet?”

“We'll bring her here in a wheelchair,” the Doctor replied.

“Oh.” Jamie felt like kicking himself for overlooking common sense. As he followed the Doctor out of the TARDIS, he felt his disappointment over the likely outcome returning. He knew it was up to Zoe, but he couldn't deny that he would miss her terribly.

* * *

Having sat himself down on a bench in the TARDIS' garden room, the Doctor released an explosive breath and smiled. After the events of the past few days, it was good to just sit and unwind for a while. As he gazed at the lush greenery before him, his thoughts had turned to the reunion – of sorts, anyway – between Zoe and her husband, Mark. He had wheeled her into the TARDIS console room with baby Alana in her arms. Both she and Mark had become quite emotional, Zoe having thought she never see him again and him having thought the same of her, not to mention the sight of his little daughter. They'd both once again expressed their gratitude to Jamie for his part in the whole thing, too.

Next came the question of when Zoe would return to the Wheel. They'd decided to wait until she was strong enough to travel on her own, especially with the baby. The Doctor could tell Jamie was disappointed. Despite all the bickering they'd done over the time they'd originally traveled with him, he knew they'd become close friends. After what Jamie had just shared with him regarding their later encounter with Zoe and her decision not to rejoin them, he could understand the way the Scot now felt.

But, it wasn't up to him. Zoe was the one who had to make this decision and the Time Lord knew that, whatever she'd decide, Jamie would come around to support it.

* * *

“So, how's it taste? Good, I hope?”

Zoe waited until she swallowed the mouthful of ice cream and then nodded. “It's very good. You should try some,” she said, only half-jokingly.

Jamie shook his head. “Nae. I've still got my own tae finish here,” he said, gesturing to his own dish.

Grinning, Zoe shook her head in amusement. She was due to return to the Wheel the next morning and it had already hit her how much she was going to miss him. After speaking to Mark, the Wheel personnel and the Doctor, they'd decided to wait a couple weeks until Alana was a bit stronger and Zoe herself had mostly recovered from the assorted aches and pains.

In the meantime, they'd all spent much time doting over her. Zoe smiled, recalling how the Doctor had spent time with her, playing with her and making her laugh. Nyssa and Tegan had babysat as well, Adric sometimes joining in. Zoe couldn't thank them enough for all the love and attention they'd given the two of them.

Of course, she couldn't leave Jamie out. He'd spent as much time with the baby as they had, perhaps even more. Every so often she'd catch him holding her and singing softly in what sounding like Gaelic. Alana actually seemed to appreciate it, as Zoe could swear she'd caught the infant smiling at him once.

Jamie had also insisted that before Zoe left, he'd take her out for lunch and ice cream; just two old friends spending some time together before parting. Kathryn had volunteered to watch Alana – Wee Jamie insisting on helping – while they were out. Zoe smiled again, thinking how grateful she was to the other woman not just for babysitting, but also for giving her some advice regarding pregnancy and newborns.

“I jus' want tae say,” Jamie began around a mouthful of ice cream, throwing her out of her thoughts.

“Really, Jamie, it's a bit rude to speak with your mouth full,” she playfully scolded him, a light smirk flitting across her features.

Jamie swallowed his food and jokingly rolled his eyes. “Sorry. Anyway, I jus' want tae say, I'm glad that Mark is back, alive an' well.” He smiled. “See? I told ye no' tae give up hope.”

Zoe nodded. “Yes, you did.” Her lips twitched into a fond smile of her own. “You really are wise, Jamie.”

Jamie quirked an eyebrow at her. “Eh? Ye never said anything of the sort before.” A teasing grin made its way across his face. “Ye sure ye're feelin' all right, Zoe?”

Zoe laughed despite herself. “I know I didn't give you much credit back when we traveled together with the Doctor. You must think it kills me to admit you're much smarter than I've given you credit for.”

“Ye mean it doesn't?” he asked, eyebrows shooting up.

Rolling her eyes, Zoe leaned over to swat him across the chest. “Of course not! Besides, things are different now. Look at us. You're married with a child of your own. I'm married as well and I've just given birth. We've grown up, Jamie. We've matured ...”

She drifted off and snorted as she watched him smirk and then stick his hand over his mouth, muffling some giggles as he gestured to her face.

“... Or not,” she finished with a glare.

Jamie's snickering faded. “Sorry. Ye've got chocolate all over yer mouth, there,” he told her, pointing again to her face.

Zoe felt her face grow hot as she picked up a napkin and wiped her mouth clean, the heat rising even more as she took it away, finding more chocolate on it than she'd expected. She returned her gaze to Jamie who appeared amused still, but his grin had faded and turned into a fond smile. Taking his own unused napkin, he dipped it in his glass which contained some leftover water and reached across the table.

“Ye've got a wee bit more here,” he told her softly as he dabbed it away.

Zoe gave him a sheepish smile. “Thank you, Jamie.” She sighed as she felt a pang of sadness. “I'm really going to miss you.”

Jamie appeared a bit taken aback, perhaps even sad. “Are ye sure ye willnae reconsider an' stay here on Earth? Can ye no' send for Mark so the three of ye can make a life here?”

Zoe pondered it for a moment and then shook her head. “As much as I wouldn't mind it, our life is on the Wheel.”

Jamie dropped his gaze to his hands and nodded. Goodness, he looked like a kicked puppy. “Aye. Who am I tae ask such a thing of ye.” He'd finally looked back up at her as she regarded him with a sad smile. “I just missed ye, is all.”

“I know. I've missed you, too. But we've both got our own lives and our own families now.”

Jamie nodded and, despite still appearing rather unhappy, seemed to concede this. “Aye. Can we no' still be friends?”

Zoe blinked at him. “What? Of course we can.” She felt her sadness return. Why did he have to make this so difficult?

His face lit up in a smile of pure gratitude. “Good. Even though I'll miss ye, I'm thankful that ye're well, the bairn is well, an' that ye're no' gannae be alone. Apart from keepin' yer friendship I dinnae think I can ask for more than that.” His eyes suddenly widened, a thought apparently having struck him. “Mebbe we can still keep in contact wi' each other. The Doctor or UNIT might have some sorta contraptions we can use tae communicate.”

Zoe smiled at the thought. “We'll have to ask them before I go back.”

Jamie nodded, appearing much happier than he had only moments before. After paying the bill to the waitress, they rose from their booth and made their way toward the front of the restaurant. They were about to leave when Jamie suddenly turned around. Zoe gazed at him curiously.

“I promised Wee Jamie I'd bring him back some ice cream,” he told her. “If I don', I'll be hearin' aboot it all day an' all night.”

Zoe laughed as she rejoined him at the counter.

* * *

Smiling despite his sadness, Jamie stood outside the TARDIS with his family and the Brigadier as they prepared to see Zoe and little Alana off. Both he and Zoe had asked the military commander for communicators they could use to keep in touch. He had gladly given them a pair, much like the one they'd used to make contact with the Doctor when Zoe had first arrived. They were smaller and much more updated than the one Jamie himself had had all these years.

Speaking of which, Jamie felt his smile widen as he recalled Wee Jamie finally meeting the Doctor. He took to him in an instant and his eyes boggled in awe when the Time Lord gave him a quick tour of the TARDIS. It reminded Jamie of his very similar reaction back when he had first joined the Doctor.

“Well, I suppose we should get going,” the Doctor announced, cutting through Jamie's thoughts. The Scot simply nodded. He still wished with all his heart this wasn't happening, but he knew Zoe's mind was made up and it was for the best.

He looked up as the Doctor approached him. “Well, I'll be seeing you, Jamie,” he said with a kind smile as he reached out to shake Jamie's hand.

Jamie nodded with a smile of his own that didn't quite make it to his eyes. It soon faded as he eyed the Doctor seriously, pointing a finger at him. “Don' stay away too long, now.” He turned to Wee Jamie and squeezed his shoulder. “I don' think this wee chappie here would be too happy.”

The Doctor chuckled. “No, I doubt he would be.” He reached over to ruffle Wee Jamie's hair. “You be a good boy, now. Look after your parents, all right?”

Wee Jamie nodded with a toothy smile. “Aye.”

The Time Lord grinned. “See you later,” he told them as he made for the TARDIS, turning to wave before he stepped inside.

Adric, Tegan and Nyssa were about to follow when Jamie approached them, exchanging goodbyes and thanking them for all their help in this Talpa business. He then turned to Zoe who was lingering in front of the TARDIS doors. Now strong enough to no longer require a wheelchair, she cradled Alana against her and seemed to be eyeing Jamie expectantly.

“Well … 'suppose this is it, then,” he told her glumly.

Zoe's smile faded and her eyes seemed tinged with a hint of sadness underneath the resignation in her expression. “No, it's not,” she countered softly. “We'll still be able to communicate with each other.” She nodded toward the communicator in Jamie's hand.

“Aye. That's true,” he conceded.

Her serious expression melted into a fond smile and her eyes twinkled. She was clearly happy and Jamie realized how important that was to him. After all she'd been through over the past few days: all the runaway emotion, the dangerous situations in which she'd been mired, the exhaustion … It was good to see her smiling again.

He suddenly felt Zoe wrap her arms around him, pulling him into a big hug – as big a hug as a petite lass like herself could give, anyway.

“Take care of yourself, Jamie,” she muttered into his shoulder, her voice faltering somewhat.

“An' you, Zoe. You take care of that sweet bairn o' yers, ye hear me?”

“Of course I will. And you do the same for your family.”

Jamie simply smiled and nodded as they broke apart. He watched as she took Alana back from Kathryn and, after turning around to give them one final wave, finally disappeared into the TARDIS. A few moments later, the familiar blue box began to dematerialize, fading until it was gone.

Jamie stood gazing at the spot with a sad smile. Turning to Wee Jamie, he noted fondly the slack-jawed expression of awe on the little boy's face.

“They're gone, Da?”

Jamie nodded. “Aye, they are.”

“I'm gannae miss them.”

“I know,” Jamie replied sadly. He then turned and gestured to the communication device lying on the bench. “But ye see this contraption the Doctor gave me? We can use it tae talk to Zoe.”

“Ye mean like a telephone?”

“Aye, sort of like that. An' we can talk to the Doctor on it as well … when he's no' back here in London, of course.” Wee Jamie frowned in confusion. “Ye see, the Doctor travels all over space an' time in the TARDIS.”

The boy nodded thoughtfully. His eyes then gleamed. “I'd like tae see it all one day. Can I no' travel in it with him?”

Jamie smiled in amusement. “I dinnae know if ye'd want tae do that.”

“Why no'? Didn't you travel with him?”

“Aye, I did. An' I saw some incredible things. But also some very dangerous ones. I want ye to be safe, Wee Jamie. After what jus' happened, I think ye've seen what sort of terrible beasties are out there, eh?”

Wee Jamie's face contorted into a slight pout but he then gazed up at Jamie with pleading eyes. “I'd still like tae see it, even jus' for a wee while.”

Jamie sighed. “Well, perhaps for a wee while.” He then turned to Kathryn, not expecting her to be happy with the idea.

To his surprise, she nodded. “Perhaps when you're a bit older.”

“Aww!” Wee Jamie protested.

Jamie shared a chuckle with her and then stooped to pick the boy up, giving him a hug. As he regarded the now empty corner of the UNIT laboratory, his thoughts returned to Zoe. Even though she decided not to stay back on Earth, he was glad he got to see her again. Perhaps it could have been under better circumstances, but in the end he was just glad to know she was all right, and that she and her family would be safe and happy back on the Wheel.

His thoughts at last turned to the Doctor. Goodness, it'd been so long since Jamie had last seen him. Personality quirks and outward appearance aside, the Time Lord hadn't changed a bit. He had the same determination to protect Earth as much as possible, not to mention the same love of his friends as he took such good care of Zoe and was now taking her back to her husband and life where she belonged.

Yes, he certainly was that same Doctor who had rescued him from prison after Culloden all those years ago.

'Good old Doctor …'

THE END

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just in case there's any confusion regarding Jamie's final thoughts regarding the Doctor, they reference an event that took place in "You Can't Go Home Again (Or Can You?)." Anyway, phew, I can't believe this story is already finished - and, with it, the entire series! Five stories' worth. I really enjoyed writing it and exploring Jamie's adventures in the late 20th century, not to mention his interactions with old and new friends, as well as different incarnations of the Doctor. I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. All this said: I may have plans for another series going further with this universe, not so much with Jamie per se, but ... Well, I don't want to say anything about it just yet. But I think I've got something in the pipeline! ;)
> 
> And here's a pic I just had to include... Jamie doesn't quite know how to tell Zoe she's got some chocolate all over her face... lol


End file.
